Code Lyoko: Punic Wars
by Moonlitdaze
Summary: A month after the end of Evolution, Aelita is continuing the search for Tyron and her mother. However, as Aelita and the other Lyoko Warriors dig deeper into her past in order to secure her future, she learns that there are somethings she can never run from. All her life the enemy has been, and always will be, one thing: Project Carthage.
1. Prologue

**Alright, a word on this. So, several things happened recently to make me want to publish on this site again. The chief of which came when I was in an opera at college this semester that took place in Carthage. It kinda got me thinking about Code Lyoko again. It always bugged me about how the show was vague about what it was and, though it gave us bits and pieces on the Carthage years (and the book gave us more), I always found I wanted to see more. I felt there was a lot of potential that was missed. So here, we are. We have Code Lyoko: Punic Wars.**

 **This is half-way a rewrite of some old stuff I published on here awhile ago as well.**

 **I won't say much else except I really hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _Prologue_

 _South Carolina, United States of America_

It was midday when Terry White got home from her trip to the store, her blonde hair falling in chunks out of its sloppily done ponytail and her feet sore from a morning full of errands. Arms laden with groceries for that evening's anniversary dinner, she was more than eager to put all the food away and kick her feet up before her husband got home. She looked forward to a few hours of respite before the annual tradition of cooking their anniversary dinner together, considering this had been her first day off of work in a month.

The house was quiet when she got in, the only sound the hum of their air conditioner, which the Whites always kept running all day in the summer months to ward off the thick heat of the Palmetto State. Everything was as she left it. But that didn't stop the hairs on her neck and arms from standing straight on edge.

She kicked off her shoes, trying to keep her breathing calm. If there truly were someone in her house, the last thing she needed was for the intruder to know she was suspicious. As casually as she could muster, she walked straight into the kitchen, setting down the bundle of groceries on the island. Slowly, she crept over to the silver wear drawer and grabbed a steak knife, whipping around just in time to see a sickeningly familiar face.

He was casually sorting through her mail, green eyes holding a familiar arrogant smirk. He had wild strawberry blond hair, peppered with more than its fair share of grey, and though time had certainly added a good deal of wrinkles to his face, Terry knew exactly who this man was.

"Tyron," she snorted.

" _Terry_ ," he huffed, tossing the mail down. "You had such a beautiful name. I don't know you bothered to change it." He spoke to her in German and she returned the favor.

"I won't even award that with an answer, Traitor. You know full well why."

"Yes, but why _Terry_?" when she didn't answer, he only sighed. Tyron leaned back a little, gesturing to the grocery bags on the counter. "Are you not going to put those away?"

Terry eyed him for a moment, before slowly picking up one of the bags on the counter. "So, who you've got yourself a husband? Samuel White seems like a nice man, _Terry._ Does he know about you?"

"He knows about Terry Faure. Terry Faure who was born in France and immigrated as a university student. The woman he married," she put the carton of milk in the fridge, slamming the door shut. "Tyron, why are you here?"

"Why else would I seek you out—Elissa?"

Terry stiffened at her real name, a name she had kept buried for over a decade now. "You get out of my house, Tryon. That is my old life. You have no business bringing it back."

"I'm not trying to bring it back," Tyron snorted. "I left the Project just like you." At her raised eyebrow, her rolled his eyes, holding up his hands. "Yes, yes. For different reasons, I know. However, I still left. I got what I wanted from Waldo. I have reached a setback in my supercomputer, however, and I need to focus my energy on that. I have no interest in in my past employment coming back to haunt me. I have a company to run."

"Well, I sure as hell am not going to help you with your little toy, Tryon, if that's what you want."

"Well, you might be interested in helping me when you hear what I have to say," Tyron pressed.

"You'd have to be pretty persuasive to get me to help the likes of you," Terry narrowed her eyes.

Tyron only smirked, quirking his mouth into a half-smile. "Anthea would love to see you again."

Terry froze, an involuntary gasp pushing his way past her lips. "You'd better not be lying, Tryon—"

"She's my wife now, Elissa. Only married me for access to her husbands work. She thinks I don't know that, but that matters little. She is back in Switzerland." He looked a the clock. "Probably still in the lab, working on the Cortex. She'd be delighted at your return."

Terry faltered a little, a shiver working its way up and down her spine. "The project didn't—"

"You know Anthea. She's clever. She managed to get herself free."

"How—"

"I do her a lot of favors by not asking her about her time as their captive," Tyron held a hand up. "Do yourself a favor by not thinking about what they are capable of."

Terry shivered. "So what do you want me for, Tyron? If you're experiencing bugs, I can look at the schematics and—"

"It's more than bugs," Tyron shook his head. "It has a virus."

"A virus?"

"Waldo's work. Calls it X.A.N.A. Some school kids found Schaeffer's computer, let it free. It's in my Cortex now."

"Waldo did it then," Terry shook her head. "He attempted to use the Project's design against them."

"Yes. It's not as dangerous as what the Project wanted. Waldo was always better at creating life. He never would be able to create something as destructive as the Project's monster. If my computer stays off, X.A.N.A can be contained. For now."

"Then, why worry? If I recall, your company has infinite resources. Create another computer."

"Oh, Elissa, I intend to," he ignored the glare that marred her features every time he said her given name. "But that is not my concern. Yes, X.A.N.A is, in its present state, harmless in a dormant supercomputer. But if someone or _something_ gets ahold of it—"

Terry paled. "They created it."

"Anthea has connections still," Tyron said, "some of the agents that helped her escape."

"I have to make arrangements," Terry whispered. "Make up a story for Sam."

"I knew you'd see reason. I fly out tomorrow. It is best if you don't leave too long after I do," Tyron nodded, but he wasn't smirking anymore. "Terry, you know where it'll go first. I suggest you call that brother-in-law of yours. You're still on speaking terms, yes?"

"We keep limited communication to be safe," Terry averted her eyes. "I hate to drag him back into it."

"With him guarding The Fortress," Tyron snorted, "he was never out of it."

Terry watched as he left, unable to keep herself from shivering. The groceries, the anniversary dinner, and her aching feet were all forgotten. A pit solidifying in her stomach, she grabbed her phone and let her fingers clumsily dial the familiar number. She pinched the bridge of her nose whispering, "Pick up, pick up" in hopes that the tiny whispered prayer would reach the man eight hours way.

"Hello, Adams residence."

"Jacob," Terry breathed out.

"Terry, what happened?" her brother-in-law picked up on the panic in her tone right away.

"Jacob, they did it," she breathed into the receiver, her throat too tight to barely form her next words. "Dido is rising."

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 **So there is my prologue. I really, really like reviews, so please drop one!**

 **Anyway, I always pictured Tyron as less of an evil villain and more of the greedy type. Evil because he is selfish, not because he is malicious.**

 **That's all for now**

 **-Moonlit**


	2. Past, Present, Future

**So, this chapter turned out to be a pain to write. But, it's here now.**

 **Drop a review. Let me know what you think.**

* * *

 _Chapter One: Past, Present, Future_

 ** _Boulogne-Billancourt, France_**

"I don't think it's a good idea."

Aelita Schaeffer—or as everyone else knew her, Aelita Stones—sighed a little, realizing she was actually a little too familiar with that statement coming from Jeremie Belpois's lips. She looked over at the young genius, tapping her pencil against her binder.

"I don't see why not," she whispered, keeping an eye on Mrs. Meyer, who was too busy spouting theorems to notice two of her students were holding a conversation. "I think it's a good way for the group to adjust to life without X.A.N.A again. Having someone around who forces us to talk about something _other_ than virtual worlds will be good for us." She looked down at her notes, halting the conversation as Mrs. Meyer passed a little closer to their desks.

"We don't know if we're done with X.A.N.A, Aelita," Jeremie sighed when the teacher was safely out of earshot. "If Tyron manages to find an antivirus and reactivate his supercomputer—"

"I trust my mother," Aelita cut him off. "She knows we infected the Cortex for a reason. As long as she is there, Tyron won't succeed in turning back on his supercomputer. We have nothing to worry about from X.A.N.A anymore." She scribbled down something that the teacher had written on the board so she didn't appear suspicious. "Besides, I've already told the principal I would, so I can't exactly take back my offer, now can I?"

Jeremie frowned a little. "I understand," he finally relented. "Just—be careful, okay?"

Aelita quirked a half-smile, not able to help finding this display of overprotectiveness slightly endearing. "Jeremie, it's a new roommate. Not one of X.A.N.A's specters. There's really no need to be careful."

He was about to say more when the school bell finally rang, cutting him short. "Remember your quiz on Monday," Mrs. Meyer said as her students hastily began packing up their things, the daydreams of a day off finally a reality. "Have a good weekend."

"So what were you two so chatty about?" Odd Della-Robbia approached the pair, his roommate Ulrich Stern in toe. "Please don't tell me you're planning on going to a wild party this weekend without me."

Aelita rolled her eyes a little and smiled at the boy the student body thought was her cousin. "Nothing of the sort, Odd. Jeremie was just voicing his concerns over my new living situation." The group began to file out of the classroom.

"Personally, I have no idea why you volunteered to have a roommate. Living with someone else is a real pain," Ulrich drily quipped.

Odd made a gasping sound, clutching his hand over his heart in feigned agony. "You wound me, Good Buddy," he lamented. The blonde straightened out, jabbing a thumb at Ulrich. "Just make sure she doesn't snore like Ulrich. That gets pretty old pretty quick."

Aelita laughed a little, adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag. "Well, I'd better head over to the dormitory. Adrienne is supposed to be moving in by now. Hopefully, the two of us will meet you and the others at lunch."

"You want one of us to go with you?" Jeremie asked. Aelita resisted the urge to sigh.

"No, Jeremie. It's a short walk. I'll be fine." She took a step to break off from the group. "See you all in a minute."

"See you soon, Princess."

Aelita began the short trek to the dormitory, relishing the moment of solitude, no matter how brief. She had to admit, it was a little impulsive for her to volunteer the house the new student. At least, by her standards. Technically, X.A.N.A was dormant, but it wasn't destroyed. There was always the possibility of it coming back. And Tyron had already proven he cared little about the fact that her father's virus was dangerous. Any day now the Lyoko Warriors could be called back into action, and a roommate could be a complication.

Yet, when Headmaster Delmas had approached all the girls with single dorms about a new student that needed a room, Aelita found herself volunteering right away. At the time, she didn't know why she did it, but now that she had time to reflect on it, she knew exactly what had made her speak. The past month hadn't been easy for her. She knew she had made the right decision, sacrificing her reunion with her mother in order to destroy the Cortex. However, that didn't make it hurt any less. Her mother was out there, somewhere in the world, and Tyron was going to do anything he could to make sure the two were never reunited.

She remembered that day in Delmas's office, when Tyron had agreed to bring mother and daughter together if and only if the Lyoko Warriors left the Cortex alone. Aelita had made the decision knowing full well Tyron would make good on his threat, but nothing could prepare her for what it was like to be so close to seeing her mother again and to have it ripped away in an instant. Volunteering to house a new roommate—one that knew nothing about Lyoko or anything related to it—was the perfect way to keep Aelita's focus elsewhere.

When the supercomputer was shut down for the first time—when the Lyoko Warriors mistakenly believed they had finally defeated X.A.N.A once and for all—she had made a decision to focus on her future instead of her past. Taking on someone who had no affiliation with her past was the perfect step in that direction. It was a way to cope while the group waited for Jeremie's program to yield results.

When Aelita finally arrived at the dormitory, she heard faint rustling coming from her dorm. Hesitantly, she knocked on her door—feeling very strange having to do so to enter her room—and opened it upon a petite girl upon the room's recently added second bed. She could not have been over four foot eleven, with long platinum blonde hair cascading in curls down her back all the way to her waist. She kept it out of her face with a navy-blue bow, but for the most part let her abundance of hair have its way. She wore a red button-up blouse with a navy blue peter-pan collar, a navy blue skirt, and plaid red and navy knee-high socks. A mound of boxes covered her side of the room, carefully arranged so as to not intrude upon Aelita's. The girl was currently hanging _Star Trek_ posters on the wall above her bed.

"You must be Adrienne," Aelita announced her entrance, setting her bag down on her own bed.

"Oh!" the girl whipped around, revealing deep emerald eyes and a face full of freckles. "Oh! Roommate, hi!" she tripped off her bed, scampering across the carpeted floor with an extended hand. "I'm Adrienne Williquette. You must be Aelita Stones." Aelita smiled a little, accepting the handshake. "Thank you so much for letting me move in with you."

"No problem. Really," Aelita assured.

Adrienne paused a little, surveying her boxes with wide eyes. "Hey, hand me that box cutter, will you? I was just about to start setting up the microwave."

"Microwave?" Aelita asked, handing Adrienne a small sharp device that was resting on the nearest box.

"Well. Yeah. I'll keep it on my side, of course, but you're welcome to it. I noticed you didn't have one." She crossed over a box, slicing the tape off the top. "Is this your first year at boarding school?"

"Second. Before that I studied at home," Aelita said, tentatively crossing over to Adrienne's side. "And you?"

"No, actually. This is my third boarding school. Our father is a diplomat, so it's easier for us to live at school so we don't have to change so often."

Aelita guessed that was why Adrienne seemed to have no trouble speaking with a stranger.

"Our?"

"My twin Asher is here with me," Adrienne balled up the tape, tossing it into trash bag she had set up by her bed. "He's in a single on the guys' hall."

"Well," Aelita said, "I was actually wondering if you wanted to join my friends and me for lunch. Asher is welcome as well. We could help the two of you unpack, if you'd like."

Adrienne smiled, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah. I'd like that a lot." She hopped onto her bed, typing something into her phone and then smiling at Aelita. "I told him to meet us there. Lead the way."

Aelita nodded, ushering Adrienne out of the dormitory, the duo blending in with the crowds of students rushing towards the cafeteria from their classes. Adrienne was a silent but happy trail, following in Aelita's wake with small, quick energetic steps. Her emerald eyes were flitting everywhere, as if to memorize her surroundings. Aelita would not be surprised if that's what the girl were doing.

As expected the dining hall was crowded when the pair arrived—such was the Saturday post-class rush—but Aelita quickly located her group's usual table without much problem. The Lyoko Warriors had already gathered, including their two members in year eleven, Yumi Ishiyama and William Dunbar.

"Hello again," Aelita greeted, setting down her tray. Adrienne did the same.

"She lives!" Odd jokingly nudged Jeremie in the ribs. The young genius flinched a little, glaring at his high-energy friend. "We were beginning to think your new roommate ate you."

"Ignore that brainless one," Yumi said, with a smile towards Adrienne. "His name is Odd. I'm Yumi. This is William, Ulrich, and Jeremie." Each member of the group nodded when mentioned.

"Aelita's friends," Adrienne nodded in agreement. "Nice to meet you all." She looked like she was about to say more when her phone buzzed on the table. She snatched it up to view the message. "Just a second," she said, shooting out of her chair.

She started flagging someone over from across the cafeteria and soon Aelita noticed a blonde boy—very similar in appearance to Adrienne—turn to walk in the direction of their table. Aelita assumed this was her new roommate's twin. He had his sister's curls, though his were cropped short and did not reach past his ears. He also shared Adrienne's freckled face and bright green eyes. One way they differed greatly, however—aside from the obvious gender difference—was the difference in height. He stood at least five feet, eight-inches compared to a twin that did not even reach five feet. Adrienne left the table, walking to intercept him. They had a conversation expressed entirely in quick, fluid hand gestures, Adrienne occasionally throwing a glance over her shoulder to point out a member of the group.

"That's ASL," William noted. "They're using American sign language. I recognize some signs."

"How do you know ASL?" Ulrich raised an eyebrow.

"My mother had an American co-worker whose daughter was deaf," William shrugged, smirking a little. "I learned a little bit of ASL and LSF to impress her. I thought she was cute."

"Hey, can you tell what they're talking about?" Odd leaned a little closer to William and Ulrich.

"Guys," Aelita cut in, "don't you think it's a little rude to be spying on their private conversation?" She raised an eyebrow. "A little Laura-esque, don't you think?"

"Now who's being rude?" William—who had been somewhat closer to the group's former member than the others—countered.

"No, I'm with Aelita on this one," Yumi shook her head. "Those two are entitled to their privacy."

"All she is doing is filling them in on who we are, from what I can tell," William said, choosing to ignore his two female friends' qualms, "I don't see how me listening to a conversation that pertains to me is a problem, do you guys?"

"Boys," Yumi huffed, rolling her eyes. Aelita smiled a little.

The twins finished their conversation, returning to the table to rejoin the group. "Everyone," Adrienne nodded to her brother, "this is Ash. I've already made your introductions, if you don't mind."

"Aelita, thank you for agreeing to take my sister in," Asher ruffled Adrienne's hair. "I promise not to let her drive you insane."

"Don't worry about that," Ulrich threw in. "With Odd as her cousin, Aelita's had plenty of experience in insanity. I'm sure Adrienne is nothing in comparison."

The group—including the twins—laughed at that and Odd pretended to pout. "Sure. Sure, just have a good laugh at my expense. You don't need to consider my feelings."

The meal continued with ease from there, refreshingly devoid of talk involving sentient viruses, digital worlds, or localization programs. Adrienne and Asher seemed friendly enough as well, though Asher was far less outgoing and open than his more boisterous sister. When the meal ended, the duo had already been invited back to join the group for dinner.

After lunch ended and the group left the dining hall, the twins declined help unpacking despite their earlier liking to the idea. Deciding to leave her new roommate to get settled in peace, Aelita opted to check on Jeremie in his dorm. Aelita had found that, though her plan had worked and the whirlwind of welcoming someone else into the dorm had provided a temporary distraction from thoughts of her mother, she knew she couldn't stay away for long. Sooner or later, they were going to have to check on the program.

"Hello, Jeremie," Aelita entered the dorm with only one knock, as was her custom. As usual, he was at his computer, typing furiously.

"Hi, Aelita," he turned around in his seat. The look on his face told her she didn't like what he was going to stay next.

"Is that the—" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "No results yet."

"Well, with Tyron, I didn't exactly think localizing him would be easy," she sighed, trying to sound hopeful. "I mean, the program has only been running since last night."

"Yes, of course," Jeremie nodded. Aelita didn't buy his confidence for a moment, but she appreciated the gesture. He turned back to the computer, resuming his rapid-fire typing.

She decided to change the subject, realizing that she probably shouldn't have come. At least, not to check on the program. "The Williquettes seems nice."

"Uh yeah. They're great," Jeremie said, half-distracted by his work.

"Jeremie," Aelita sighed.

He paused his work, again turning around to face her. "Well, you know how I feel about the situation. I still think it was premature to let someone so close to the group."

Aelita tensed, fearing that this would turn into one of their arguments. It happened nearly every time Aelita wanted to peruse and interest outside of Lyoko. And, while it was true that virtual world was a big part of her life, she had never wanted it to be her only part. She thought she and Jeremie had _finally_ reached an understanding when they had "destroyed" X.A.N.A the previous school year. He had even agreed to help her find whom she was beyond the lost girl stranded with no memories on a digital world. Those few months without X.A.N.A had been the best of Aelita's life. But when X.A.N.A returned, Jeremie had slowly began to retreat back into a life that revolved only around Lyoko. While she was grateful he was going to such lengths to protect her, she didn't like how it made him so oblivious to how she felt.

"Aelita," Jeremie sighed, drawing her out of her thoughts. He was smiling warmly. "Don't you think I know why you did? I know you're worried about your mother and I know you want to move beyond X.A.N.A. And if that's the case—if it's what's best for you—how can I be against it? Adrienne seems harmless. And if it does come to use having to fight X.A.N.A again, we'll work around it. If I'm just going to treat you like you're still trapped on Lyoko, what was the point of materializing you in the first place?"

Aelita smiled, unable to keep heart from doing a little flutter, when a sudden beeping cut her off. Both students whipped their heads towards Jeremie's computer, temporarily frozen by shock.

"The program," she said breathlessly after a miniature battle between her brain and her tongue.

"It's—it's found a localization," Jeremie was brought back to life by Aelita's word. "I can't believe it! It's loading coordinates and a satellite image now."

But apparently he had spoken to soon. As soon as the image started to load, Jeremie's screen went fuzzy. A horrible shriek blared out of Jeremie's speakers, so intense Aelita had to cover her ears with hear hands. Sparks flew from the monitor and the tower of the computer smoked. The screen finally died, going completely black, but not before two words—two simple words that cut like daggers—displayed across the screen:

 _STAY AWAY_

 ** _Maryland, United States of America_**

Terry was crawling out of her skin as she waited for the baggage claim. The pedestrian traffic of Baltimore-Washington International was enough to want to curl up into a tiny ball and disappear, especially after Tyron's little visit. Terry had long ago gotten used to the idea of trusting people, of burying her old instincts from her days with (and running from) Project Carthage. Now, her old ways had come back with a vengeance and she wanted nothing than to get out of the airport and into the solitude of Jacob's lab.

"Theresa White?"

At her name, Terry stiffened, running through her dozens of escape strategies—which she had devised on her short walk from the gate to the baggage claim—before she turned around. What she saw made her stomach drop like a stone. A woman—coffee skinned and leanly built—was standing before Terry, dressed in sleek dress-pants and a fitted, dark cinnamon blouse. She had tight corkscrew curls for hair and was holding the handle of the suitcase Terry had checked at the gate. But it wasn't the stolen suitcase that made Terry's stomach flip. It was the file the woman was holding in her hands. A file that, only a few minutes prior, had been safely (or not so safely) tucked into Terry's carry-on.

"Come with me," was all that the woman said. Given the fact that she was currently in a crowded airport and the woman was currently in possession of sensitive information, Terry had no choice for now but to follow.

"I've gotten a little too rusty," Terry lamented under her breath, quickly moving so as to keep up with the woman. Terry was led outside of the terminal, into the fading light of day, and into the parking garage. The woman got into the passenger seat of a grey-green SUV and Terry had no choice but to do the same.

"It's a good to see you," a voice said as soon as the door was shut. A familiar face watched at her in the rear view mirror. Terry relaxed at the familiar nervous smile of Jacob Adams.

"Well, you could have been a little more subtle," she muttered, clicking on her seatbelt.

"Sorry to extract you by force, but you wouldn't have come any other way," Jacob started the drive. "This is Alana Taggart, my newest lab assistant."

"Since when do you keep lab assistants?" Terry raised an eyebrow.

"Since you decided that I—a _geneticist_ —was the best option to guard the most advanced piece of computing technology our team ever came up with."

"Well, you'd know less about maintaining it," Terry shrugged. "Thus, you'd be the least likely person to be hiding it. Besides, you had Amos."

"Yes, I know less about maintaining it," Jacob said, a little bitterly, "hence Amos and Miss Taggart."

"Hence, Amos and Miss Taggart," Alana agreed. "You know, Mrs. White, your Fortress is one complex little machine. It's been giving me and Amos a run for our money these past few years, but I've enjoyed the challenge."

"Well, I guess that's good," Terry said.

"Alana has been a wonderful asset," Jacob agreed. His face adopted a grave expression. "And, if Tyron is right about Carthage creating Dido, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Yes, I know," Terry whispered. "Welcome aboard, Miss Taggart."

The rest of the thirty-minute drive out of the city and to Jacob's house was silent, the weight of the situation pressing down on everyone in the car. Every second's delay was dangerous when it came to the Dido—if it were as formidable of a force as Carthage intended it to be—and yet there was, for the time being, little they could do if the program actually located them. So, for the moment waiting and hoping were the only options.

While Jacob had a comfortable home the suburbs, his lab was an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere and kept under constant guard with a complex security system based loosely on the Fortress's own design. The property was nearly as protected as the Fortress's charges themselves, designed to ward off anyone not already entered into the database of the Fortress.

The Fortress—and Jacob's lab—were both in the basement of this lonely, solitary farm house, acquired when Terry and Jacob had first fled to the States. The machine was as Terry remembered it, her beautiful brain-child still running in all its former glory. Jacob had always jokingly called it "Little Lethal." The Fortress's supercomputer was small, not much bigger that a bedside table inside. As far as virtual worlds went, it wasn't that remarkable or sophisticated. It only had one sector and a singular scanner and could only handle five people at a time. However the Fortress's beauty came not from the world it ran, but the way it protected itself. Access from the digital network was nearly impossible, because the world was protected by encryption codes and firewalls that changed at random intervals, making it nearly impossible for even a virus to infiltrate. And if the world was accessed by means other than the network, The Fortress itself was designed to attack any foreign entities not recognized by its database or that were programmed into the database as a threat. The one design flaw—the one thing that made the Fortress vulnerable—was that it encryption codes was so precise and so complex, taking the computer offline for even a second would knock it out of sync with its scanner system, which would make it impossible for Terry and the others to gain access to the world.

"I suppose your going to be the one virtualized, Mrs. White?" Alana said, sitting down at the Fortress's interface. She nodded toward the singular scanner, which would allow one person to virtualized onto the virtual world.

"I don't know. Jacob might get jealous," Terry smirked at her old friend, who shook his head.

"Even as a partial designer of the virtualization program," Jacob shivered, "I see no reason _why_ anyone would _want_ their whole structure broken down and rewritten digitally."

Terry laughed, patting her friend on the shoulder. She shrugged off her coat, tossing it at Jacob before stepping into the scanner and nodding towards Alana. "I'm ready, Miss Taggart."

"Say hi to Elijah for me," Jacob muttered, his eyes taking on the misty glint they did whenever Jacob spoke of his son. Terry was about to say more when the scanner doors slid shut, closing her within the cabin.

She closed her eyes, trying to distract herself from her own beating heart by trying to remember the last time she had been digitalized. Before she could come up with the answer, she was falling to the digital ground of The Fortress. All around her, the stone walls and floors of a floating castle kept her from falling into sea of data that was the digital network. For the most part, everything was designed to look the same, in order to keep enemies from finding the center of world.

Her form on The Fortress was exactly as she remembered it. Her street clothes had been changed into a sleek white sleeveless body suit. Her feet were protected by white boots, a single sliver stripe running up their sides. A silver leather jacket covered her shoulders, a handgun holster tied securely about her waist by a metallic silver belt. Her hair had been retied in tight braid, keeping her typically unruly locks away from her face.

"Which way do I head?" Terry asked after orienting herself.

 _"Take the corridor to your left,"_ Alana's voice rang from the skies. Or in the case of the fortress, the ceiling.

Terry obeyed, her eyes flitting around for any signs of danger despite how well protected the world was. With Carthage, one could never be too careful. There were windows in even increments along the wall, which allowed the light from the simulated sky to penetrate the otherwise gloomy halls. An occasional suit of armor could be found, mostly in the archways between corridors, and, while they remained still when Terry passed, an intruder would find them far less harmless.

Alana was her guide through the labyrinth of Terry's making, designed to confuse even its creator. Together, the worked through the long path towards the core until Terry finally reached the massive double doors that sealed the core off from the rest of the Fortress. Before she could take another step further, the two suits of armor guarding the door moved to intercept her.

"Entry into the core is not permitted," a mechanical voice came from underneath the helmets of both guards.

"Fortress, override," Terry said without even flinching. "Voice pattern authorization: Elissa Hopper, Omicron-221."

"Voice patterned recognized," the knights agreed in unison. They stood aside and the doors opened with a loud creak, shutting again only when Terry entered the core.

The center of the Fortress was different from the rest in that this central room did not resemble a castle at all. The walls were purple, displaying in binary the data streams that the core was processing. The floor was clear, allowing a perfect view into the purple sea of data below. At the center of the room, rested the four stasis pods of the Fortress's charges.

"I'm inside, Jacob," Terry called.

 _"Good,_ "Jacob agreed. _"Check the readouts on each of the pods. Then get out of the core and we'll bring you back in."_

"Got it," Terry confirmed, tentatively approaching the first pod. "First is Maelys." There was an access panel on each pod, giving data readouts of each charge's life signs and anything that had recently happened to or inside the stasis pod. "All normal here," she said, moving onto the next one. "Elijah's readout is fine too."

Terry was about to relax for the first time since Tyron showed up in her kitchen, when she came upon the last two pods. "That's impossible," she gasped.

 _"What's wrong, Terry? Has someone tampered with the last two pods?"_

"No. Both are reading normal life signs and no activity out of the ordinary."

 _"So what's wrong?"_

"Jacob, the twins are _missing_."

* * *

 **Not sure when the next one will be up, but let's hope soon!**

 **Hope you enjoyed and make sure to review!**

 **Thanks for reading**

 **-Moonlit**


	3. Shattered Mirage

**So, I have to apologize for how long this update took. I worked at an overnight camp this summer which gave me very little time to actually write...or do anything besides camp, really. Now, I am back at school. As a double music major, my schedule doesn't really allow for much time to do anything but study and practice, but I am hopefully going to start doing weekly updates. It may not happen, given how little time I actually have for any sort of leisure, but here's hoping.**

 **I'm hoping that it won't be such a gap between updates!**

 **Enjoy this update!**

 _Chapter Two: Shattered Mirage_

 _Boulogne-Billancourt, France_

"Unreal. Absolutely unreal."

Aelita snorted a little at Odd's observation, taking a sip of her soda as she, along with everyone else in Kadic's rec room, observed the Williquette twins battling it out over air-hockey. The afternoon had started out innocently enough, just Aelita and her friends engaged in a mini air-hockey tournament—girls vs. boys, as was their admittedly childish custom—to give themselves a break from school and localization programs. But then it came down to the twins, and things had escalated.

While it was clear both had skill, they had obviously been holding back against the others. Now that it was down to Adrienne and Asher, it was clear neither twin was going to go easy.

"I mean," Odd continued, "it's like they're possessed or something."

Aelita involuntarily stiffened, her breath hitching. She knew he only meant it in jest, of course, but she'd had a little too much experience with actual X.A.N.A possessions. "Or something," she agreed.

She watched as Adrienne executed a pretty impressive save, eliciting a cheer from those in the crowd who had decided to side with the female twin.

"Nice shot, Addie," Asher winked, sending the puck back to he with a forceful stroke.

She quickly deflected again, and it looked like she was about to score, when her brother drove the puck away last second. A cheer from Asher's side.

Aelita stared at her soda can, letting her shoulder's rise and fall in a silent sigh. It had been Odd's suggestion to come to the rec room. While Aelita appreciated the effort, and recognized the true intentions behind Odd's seemingly nonchalant proposal, she found she couldn't really invest herself in the moment. It had been a week since the failure of Jeremie's localization program and, with most of the data destroyed, recreating it had been slow-going. Aelita didn't think that finding her mother would be easy, but—they had been so _close._ Hope, for the briefest of seconds, ripped away.

"You good there?" Yumi whispered to Aelita, drawing the younger girl out of her thoughts.

"Yes," Aelita forced a smile. "I'm fine."

Yumi offered a skeptical, knowing smile, letting her eyebrow drift up a fraction. "If you say so. I'm here if you wanna talk, okay?"

"Thanks," was the half-hearted answer. Aelita shifted her focus back to the game, the stakes of which had changed little during Aelita's momentary lapse of concentration.

Until the ring of Adrienne's cell phone interrupted the flow. She held up her hand and Ash paused, earning a groan from the gathered spectators as Adrienne answered.

"Hello?" she greeted in English. Aelita didn't know much of the language—she was only in her second year of it at Kadic—so she lost much, but she got the gist. The caller on the other line was Nathalie, the sister Aelita had heard her roommate mention on several occasions. Aelita also couldn't help but miss the way Adrienne's face got whiter and whiter the longer the conversation went on.

"Okay. Got it," Adrienne killed the call, putting her phone in her back pocket. "Ash," she nodded toward the doorway. Her twin set down his paddle, wordlessly following her out of the rec room.

The crowed murmured in disappointment, but soon dispersed to get on with their lives. "Should we see what that was about?" Odd asked, titling his head to try and see where the duo was headed.

"No," Aelita shook her head. She'd learned by now that her roommate had a policy of keeping family matters to herself. Adrienne rushing off with her twin wasn't an uncommon occurrence really. Considering the secrets Aelita herself had, she allowed Adrienne that little bit of space. "We'll probably see them at dinner."

 _"—_ _virus has already affected millions of internet users world-wide."_

Every Lyoko Warrior heard the line at once, and Jeremie was the first to rush over the rec room's TV, cranking up the volume. The others crowded around behind him.

 _"_ _The hacker who set it loose is currently unknown and his intentions are unclear, and world authorities have yet to issue a statement on the matter. It is unclear at this point whether international security is at risk, but so far it seems that only personal networks have been affected. Things such as banks and government facilities have yet to feel the affects. For the time being, people are encouraged to use extreme caution when using the internet, as 'The X-Virus' proves devastating to anything it infects."_

The news program moved on to its next story, but the Lyoko Warriors were no longer paying it any attention.

"The 'X-Virus'?" Yumi raised her eyebrow. "X.A.N.A?"

"You know any other sentient viruses whose names start with 'X'?" Jeremie drily replied.

"Hey, Jer," Odd put his hands up. "Take it easy. We knew this was a possibility."

A sick feeling crept its way into Aelita's stomach, the world going dull around her. She had always assumed her mother would be able to keep Tyron at bay, to do whatever it took to keep X.A.N.A from getting back into the world, at least for some time. Now….

"Well, we know where we need to go," William broke the silence.

Aelita turned to face him, her blood going cold at the thought. She managed a nod, looking to the others. "He's right," she agreed.

"If it's X.A.N.A," Ulrich spoke up, "then there's likely going to be a specter."

"We're beyond specters at this point, I think," Aelita whispered. "If he's back on the network."

"It doesn't make sense," Jeremie whispered. "He wasn't at one-hundred percent power when we infected the Cortex."

"Look," William shook his head. "Does it really matter _how_ he got out? What matters is that he did. And we have to stop it."

"William's right," Ulrich nodded, which Aelita would have found ironic if the situation hadn't been so dire. "We need to get the factory. If he's activate, then there's likely a tower out there on the Network that needs to be taken care of."

The debate was over right then. The group headed straight for the factory, Aelita lost in thought the whole way. Something about the situation was off. Even if X.A.N.A had escaped the Cortex, how had it managed to break free to the network without being at full power? Without full possession of all its remaining source codes, there was no way. But… _somehow…._

Even after only a month away, the factory felt strange to Aelita. It was a world she thought she had left behind forever. Obviously, she had been a fool. To think that she could _finally_ be free of it all. To pick up the pieces and form some semblance of a life for herself.

She cast a side-long glance at Jeremie, his furrowed brow and clenched fists. Knowing him, he was probably blaming himself somehow. Despite everything he had done for her—despite everything they _all_ had done for her—he was blaming himself. Which, was unfair. If this was anyone's mess, it was Aelita's. Jeremie had, after all, left the supercomputer on for her sake. All that danger could have been avoided, if only she hadn't been a factor. If she hadn't wanted to come to Earth so badly. If she hadn't let herself be tied to X.A.N.A. If she hadn't fallen for a trap and let X.A.N.A get his hands on the keys to Lyoko.

"Anyone want to do the honors?" Jeremie asked, an attempt at humor.

Aelita stared at the supercomputer, trying to keep her breathing under control.

"Yeah," Jeremie sighed, "didn't think so."

He approached the device, taking a deep breath before finally throwing the switch.

The computer roared to life, waking up slowly. Aelita could hear the lab upstairs powering up, the scanner room humming to life. The ghostly silence of the factory was shattered in seconds. The only thing still quiet was the group of Lyoko Warriors, staring solemnly at the cause of so much strife and danger.

"Well, I guess now we should—" Jeremie began, but he never got to finish. A black mist—sickeningly familiar—crept into the room from the vent above. Slowly at first, but then it darted straight towards William. The boy in question choked a little, falling onto his knees and holding his head. He let out a cry of pain, his voice distorting to sound like every other victim of X.A.N.A's possession Aelita had ever heard.

She backed up a step, her heart rate accelerating even more and adrenaline taking over. She mentally starting going over every martial arts move Ulrich had taught her, knowing full well she was more than likely about to be attacked.

"Get Aelita to the scanners," Ulrich said, folding himself into a fighting stance.

However, no one got the chance to act on that order. The elevator door slammed shut, and William finally stood—the Eye of X.A.N.A flashing in place of his pupil.

Aelita gasped, ready for an attack, but William only swayed, catching onto the computer for support. "Waldo Schaeffer's little girl. And her band of misfit protectors," he rasped, his face pale and sheening with sweat. He doubled over, grunting in pain for a brief second. He righted himself again, moving straight for Aelita.

"Who you calling misfits?" Ulrich moved to intercept him, but William raised a hand, a spark of lightning striking Ulrich in the chest. The young brunette slammed against the wall, slumping over onto the floor.

"I see it all, Aelita," William laughed weakly. "I see now I could never fulfill my purpose. What your father created me to destroy—I can never even hope to be a match."

Aelita shivered, looking into William's eyes. Flickering with the Eye of X.A.N.A. The mark of her enemy, the most dangerous threat the world had ever seen.

And they were filled with pure and utter terror.

William trembled cocking his head to the side. A trickle of blood streamed from his left nostril. He continued to laugh. "Can you feel it? I can. It's coming for me, Aelita. Thinks I'm useful. But I'm not the only one of Waldo Schaeffer's children, am I? It'll come for you too, Aelita."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the others exchange looks.

"X.A.N.A," Aelita gasped, unable to keep fear of her own from creeping into her voice, "what are you so afraid of?"

Then he collapsed. The black mist shot out of William, leaving the boy a lifeless heap on the floor. There was a moment of stunned silence, the Lyoko Warriors looking at each other and then the unconscious form of their friend on the floor.

"Should we…turn it off?" Odd finally asked, gesturing weakly towards the supercomputer.

"I—" Aelita faltered. "I don't think it'll make much of a difference."

William made a gagging sound, suddenly clenching up and beginning to violently shake. He moved in jagged, stiff arcs, shaking uncontrollably. His eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Aelita's knees buckled, bile creeping into her throat. "Call someone," she gasped. "He's having a seizure."

* * *

 _Maryland, United States of America_

Maelys stepped out of the shower, breathing in the thick steam that had accumulated during the half-hour she was submerged under the water. She still felt a little shaky from the trip through the scanner—it had been a long while since she had been materialized, after all—but she had to admit the soak did help. She yanked on the old sweats and oversized hoodie Aunt Elissa had given her, wiping away the fog in the mirror.

She leaned over the sink and sighed, trying to contemplate the full weight of what being brought back to Earth truly meant. Before she was virtualized onto The Fortress, it was made evident that she wouldn't be reemerging from the Fortress until the threat of Carthage was gone. That, or the Fortress was compromised. Given her Aunt and Uncle's stress levels, it was the latter.

She left the bathroom with a sigh, leaving her limp tangle of brown hair un-brushed. The floorboards of the old farmhouse always creaked, a sound that brought back so many memories. Memories of the days when her aunt was still working on the Fortress. A simpler time, before Maelys had really learned the full danger of simply existing for someone like herself, filled with bonfires and long days swimming in the nearby lake and Aunt Elissa and Uncle Jacob pretending like nothing was really wrong. A time when Maelys thought she could it was possible to be free of Carthage.

"I'm assuming they asked you questions, too." Elijah was sitting on her bed, his long sand-colored hair as damp as hers. He too had put on oversized clothes that were probably either Amos's or Uncle Jacob's. They swallowed him whole, which wasn't much of a feat considering Elijah was such a skinny kid.

"Uh-huh," Maelys nodded. She folded her arms, leaning against the wall. "And I'm assuming you know just about us much as I do?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded.

"Did they tell you where they're taking us?"

Maelys shook her head. "You think they tell me anything?"

Elijah sighed. "I guess not."

There was a knock at the door and Maelys stiffened a little, straightening up a fraction. "Come in," she said cautiously.

The door opened and Aunt Elissa entered the room, still in the blouse and jeans she had been wearing earlier. Her hair was tousled, her eyes starting to form dark circles. "Hey, Kids."

"Hi, Aunt Liss," Maelys was quite proud of the ice and distance she put into her tone. The brunette crossed over to the bed, taking a seat at the foot. Elijah shifted a little, his eyes darting between the two women.

"It's Terry now."

"Right," Maelys snorted. "So, what's your Plan B? I thought your Fortress was the 'best and safest option.' Well try telling that to Addie and Ash."

Elissa's expression didn't change. "Maelys, lashing out like this isn't going to bring the twins back."

"Look, last time I checked, your doctorate isn't in phycology. So don't shrink me. Got it?" Maelys crossed her arms. "So, where are you taking us?"

"Tyron has a facility. You'll be safe there."

Elijah went ramrod straight. "Tyron? _That_ Tyron?"

"You're _working_ with him?" Maelys cocked her head to the side.

"Believe it or not," Elissa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "There are bigger things than my dislike for Tyron. He's a coward and thief, but he's not stupid. He knows what's at stake if the project gets a hold of you—"

"It's Dido, isn't it? They've finally created the Dido program?"

Elissa's jaw set. "Get some sleep tonight. Our flight leaves early tomorrow morning."

She closed the door and Maelys finally let out the shiver she had been holding back.

* * *

Terry walked into the farmhouse kitchen, her mind still stuck on her conversation with Maelys. The girl had always been a sharp one and ten years hadn't changed that. And, if her sharpness hadn't changed, Terry was willing to bit the girl's stubbornness hadn't either. Trying to get Maelys to lay low at Tyron's facility was going to be a challenge, a challenge she was more than likely going to have to take upon herself. She'd be stupid to think that she could drop off the kids with Tyron and head back to the life she'd made for herself. There was no escape, not from Carthage.

She leaned against the counter, fishing her cell out of her pocket and dialing Sam's number. It didn't even ring twice before he picked up.

 _"_ _Sweetheart,"_ he said. _"How are you holding up? Any word on your aunt?"_

Terry had sold her sudden departure as a family emergency, a lie Sam had easily believed. Terry's family had always been a sore subject in their marriage, so her husband thankfully didn't insist when she told him it was something she had to take care of alone.

"I haven't heard much yet," Terry sighed. She wasn't sure what she hated more: the fact that she lied to him, or the fact that it had come so easily to her. "I have a layover in Maryland until tomorrow. I leave for Switzerland in the morning."

 _"_ _Keep me posted, okay? I know that you and your family aren't exactly on happy terms, but—"_

"I will, Dear. Love you."

 _"_ _You too. Miss you already."_

Terry hung up, pinching the bridge of her nose. Not once had her Carthage days come up in her marriage to Sam, but now…

"You know," Jacob's voice sounded behind her, and Terry turned to face her brother-in-law as he entered the kitchen. His eyes were bloodshot, no doubt from staring at a computer screen. Terry, Jacob, Amos, and Alana had been working non-stop since materializing Maelys and Elijah, attempting to understand what had breached the Fortress and where the twins were taken. So far, every readout told them that nothing had gotten inside the computer and the twins had never been taken. If this was Dido's work, the program was more ruthlessness than Terry had feared. "I'm glad you found someone. Sam seems to make you happy."

"I always thought I'd never get married," Terry shrugged. "I mean, it never seemed to be in the cards for me. You know it was—tougher for me then it was for Anthea and Frigga, me being the oldest. No one in the project caught my eye, and no one really could have, given my position. A normal, stable marriage like you and Frigga or Anthea and Waldo had never seemed possible." She shrugged. "I thought, when I met Sam, that things had changed, but I guess they didn't."

"Maybe not," Jacob shrugged. "But, that doesn't mean you have to let what you have with Sam go, Terry. He may know Theresa Faure, but…if he loved her, don't you think he'd love Elissa Hopper just as much?"

Terry sighed, deciding to change the subject. "Are you coming with us, Jacob?"

"My son is upstairs," Jacob nodded toward the stairwell. "Tonight was the first time in ten years I've seen him. Amos and Alana are capable of researching here and sending me their findings. It's what I pay them for. I'm going to be more help to you on Tyron's end anyway. You'll have to trap me in the Fortress itself to keep me away."

Terry offered a half-smile. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"What I'm truly worried about," Jacob reached up into the cupboards, pulling out a coffee mug, "is Maelys." He crossed over to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup. "She's still very much the same girl that went in to the Fortress."

"Maelys is a child," Terry folded her arms. "She can be handled."

"She's a _teenager_ ," Jacob corrected. "It's not about 'handling' her. It's about understanding her. And you should understand her, better than most, considering how similar your upbringings were. If you turned out fine, so can she. With the right guidance."

"Why are you looking at me?" she raised an eyebrow. "She's not my daughter, Jacob. I can't do much for her."

"You think her mother will be able to help, given how the two feel about each other?"

"You know that's changed."

"On her mother's side," Jacob agreed. "But Maelys has spent the past decade plus inside a virtual prison. The only world she knows is the one that existed before she went under." He took a sip of coffee. "And in that world, you were her only friend."

"If she considered me a 'friend' Jacob, I'd hate to see how she treats her enemies," Terry snorted.

"The girl has a fondness for you," Jacob said. "It takes a keen eye to spot, but it's there. Use it."

"Thanks for the advice," Terry half-heartedly sighed. "I have to go to bed now." She stretched a little. "Come tomorrow, Adams, we'll have the band back together."

Jacob twirled his old wedding ring, the one he hadn't removed since Frigga's death. "Most if it."

 **That's all for now, folks.**

 **Please drop a review, it makes me very happy to see those!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Moonlit**


	4. Watch and Wait

**I'll admit, this was hard to right. I still didn't get it quite the way I wanted, but...eh.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _Chapter Three: Watch and Wait_

 _Boulogne-Billancourt, France_

"Find anything?"

Aelita looked up from the file as Jeremie entered her father's old study. She checked the time on her cell, realizing that they'd been in the Hermitage for nearly two hours now. Yumi had been periodically sending them texts to update the pair on William's condition, gradually relieving Aelita's anxiety in that regard. William had been more or less fine, but more than a little dazed, when the ambulance had arrived, but the paramedics had insisted on taking him in anyway since he'd never had a seizure before. However, all seemed to be well on that end. Which meant Aelita could fully focus on the danger of X.A.N.A's final message, which was the whole reason she and Jeremie were at the Hermitage and not at the hospital with the others.

"Yes and no," Aelita shook her head.

Jeremie rounded the desk to look over her shoulder. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Aelita turned around in the chair to face him, "my father kept whatever data he had on Lyoko and X.A.N.A in the supercomputer and in his journals. He kept very little of it here, because he knew full well that Carthage finding him was more than a possibility." She held up the file. "He mostly kept his files from his days as a teacher in his home office, which Carthage naturally left alone. However, I think there's a lead hidden in here."

"A lead?"

"More specifically, some of his former students," she flipped the manila envelope open.

"It looks like standard files to me, Aelita. Grades, report cards."

"Except Kadic doesn't allow its teachers to keep such records in their home offices. Report cards are kept on file at school, not in the teacher's homes." She handed Jeremie the envelope. "Besides, all these tests are from the same seven of his students. And take a look at their grades."

"All top marks," Jeremie agreed. "So, what? Your father was….?"

"Recruiting, I think," she stood up, peering at the file over his shoulder. "Think of what a massive undertaking Lyoko was. It would make sense if he attempted to get help."

"From students?"

" _You're_ a student, aren't you?"

"Fair enough."

Aelita began leafing through the papers. "There are a few names here, but it seems like he has most of his attention was on a—Katrine G." She looked up. "We could start there."

"We can look up the names in the Kadic archives, see what we can find. But then what, knock on their front doors and say 'Hey, remember your old teacher who disappeared ten years ago? We think he recruited you to help build a supercomputer. Know anything about why'?"

"Jeremie," Aelita sighed. "I know you don't like this. I don't either. But, we know the information my father's journals gives is vague at best. All they give is information about his design, a little bit about why. Not enough to know what we need." She shook her head. "X.A.N.A was _scared_ , Jeremie. Don't you think we should be too?"

Jeremie's shoulders slumped. "You're right. You're right." He pinched the bridge of his nose. His face contorted a little, an idea suddenly occurring to him. He glanced at Aelita, and she knew instantly she wasn't going to like what he had to say. "Aelita, whatever this threat is—we're going to need all the help we can get."

She tensed, instantly knowing what he meant. "No. Out of the question."

"She's unpredictable, true," Jeremie held up his hands, moving back a fraction as Aelita shifted around a little bit. Her face settled into a glare. "But Laura is smart. As much as I hate to admit, she can be smarter than me sometimes. We're gonna need her on this, admit it."

"Are you forgetting that she betrayed us, Jeremie?"

"No of course not," he sighed. "But—look, she knows X.A.N.A was a threat. If I have to choose between dealing with Laura and facing—whatever it is that has X.A.N.A so scared, then I'd frankly pick Laura. She'd a wildcard, but—do we have a choice? This isn't the time to let personal feelings get in the way—"

"Personal feelings?" Aelita's glare hardened. "You think I'm that weak? Because, I've _never_ made the hard call before. I didn't sacrifice a reunion with my own mother for the greater good or anything. Yeah, I certainly don't know how to detach myself." She stood up, throwing the file at Jeremie. He caught it, but barely.

Jeremie flinched. "Aelita, you know that's not—"

"I'm going back to campus," Aelita cut him off. "Don't follow me. I want to be alone for awhile."

When she slammed the office door behind her, Jeremie sighed and fell into his chair. He knew she'd come around, they cared about each other another too much to let a trivial misunderstanding come between them. Which was why he knew what he had to do, despite Aelita's outright opposition. Jeremie fished his phone out of his pocket, scrolling through his contacts until he found the number he was looking for.

It rang three times before she picked up.

 _"_ _Hello?"_ she greeted.

 _"_ Hi, Laura. Jeremie Belpois. We barely know each other, but _—"_

 _"_ _I know who you are,"_ Laura get him off and Jeremie tensed. He could have sworn her memories had been effectively erased—

 _"_ _You're in my science class. You're the only other person who has a clue."_

Jeremie breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Right. That's how we know each other." _Smooth._ "Look, Laura. There is something we need to talk about. Can we meet?"

* * *

 _Undisclosed Location_

"Not that I'm trying to be difficult," Maelys piped up from the back seat of Lowel Tyron's car. She didn't miss the eye roll from her aunt. "But, this time when you take us to the middle of nowhere—we're actually going to be _safe,_ right?"

"Maelys," Aunt Elissa turned around in her seat.

Tyron laughed, looking up in the rear-view mirror. "Don't worry, Terry. I can handle her baiting. Maelys, my facilities are amongst some of the best secured in the world. Deckard prides itself on security. I am taking you to the site where my personal security force is trained. That's where you and Elijah will begin your training."

"Training?" Jacob, who was seated right beside Jacob, snapped straighter. "Tyron, what training?"

"Jacob," Tyron clucked his tongue. "We have two powerful assets in our backseat. One of the few things that gives us leverage against Carthage. And clearly, hiding them away didn't work. So—we're going to use them."

"Oh. We are, are we?" Aunt Elissa spoke up.

"Don't try and be threatening, Terry," Tyron snorted. "This is my facility we're using. I'll use these two however I see fit." Uncle Jacob glared. "Within reason, of course," Tyron added.

"And do we 'assets' have a say as to how we're used?" Maelys snorted.

"More of a say then you'll have in Carthage's hands," Tyron raised an eyebrow at her.

Maelys sighed, falling back against the leather seat. Her ears popped a little, attempting to adjust to the increasing altitude. When her aunt told her Tyron's facility was "off-site" the last thing Maelys excepted was to be steadily climbing up a narrow mountain path in a gaint SUV that barely fit on the road.

"We're so high up," Elijah whispered, gaze locked on Maelys's window. She followed his gaze, shivering when she saw the distance between the car and the world below the mountain.

"You should see the view from my home," Tyron threw in.

"You live on this mountain?" Elijah asked.

"What, did you think I slept in my lab at Deckard?" Tyron quipped.

The car came upon a dead end where the road continued on into a cave, the mouth of which was blocked by a heavy metal door. Tyron pressed a button on his steering wheel, and the door quivered in response before rising fully to allow Tyron to drive through.

A parking lot awaited them, filled with dozens of black SUVs just like Tyron's. A security office was built over head of the facility, accessed through by a single, winding staircase. Dim lights hung from the ceiling.

Tyron pulled into an empty space, marked with a plaque that said his name, and killed ignition. "Welcome to your new home, Kids." He undid his seatbelt and exited the car, the other four following suit, dragging their meager belongings with them.

"Professor," a female voice echoed through the hangar. "Welcome back." A woman strode out of the office, moving across the catwalk. Her heels made definitive clicks with each step and she descended into the lot below. She approached the group, allowing Maelys to get a better look at her. She had thick red hair, wrestled back into a French-twist, and stone-grey eyes. She wore a neatly-pressed suit, a badge clipped onto her blazer that, right underneath a tiny photograph of her, read: _"Katrine Grenaire: Head of Security. Deckard, Inc."_

"Katrine, these were the visitors I was telling you about. Kids, Terry, Jacob, this is Katrine Grenaire. She runs this facility, as well as all of Deckard's security, physically and on the network."

"Pleasure," Aunt Elissa said, a little coolly. Uncle Jacob nodded.

"Maelys, Elijah. You're with her. She'll show you around, give you the guidelines, show you to your quarters." Tyron turned to Aunt Elissa and Uncle Jacob. "You two are with me. I believe I promised you a reunion." Aunt Elissa shifted a bit, and Maelys shot her a wary side-long glance.

"Be good, Elijah," Jacob placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'll visit as soon as I can, I promise."

"Come, children," Katrine said, before Maelys could ask questions. She made for the stairs, Maelys and Elijah following after her. When she got to the security office, she swiped herself in with her ID badge, moving along with quick, striding motions. Maelys found herself having to job to keep up with the woman.

The facility was a place of pure white.

It smelled sterile, all white tile ceilings and linoleum floors and people with 'Deckard' badges jogging about. It made Maelys skin crawl, some of her earliest memories coming back to haunt her. The lab where her mother had given birth to her, where she was raised—mostly by the team of scientists that monitored her "progress"—came flooding back to her mind. Those early years of hell, crying out for a mother that never showed every time she was dragged away for "assessment." Then there were the younger ones. Not much younger, but they still looked up to her. Elijah, Asher, Adrienne—they all gave her reason to be stronger. It wasn't a conventional home—or a happy one, at that—nor was it a conventional family, but it was the very first thing she knew. She wasn't sure how she liked being reminded of it.

"This is where Tyron's security force is trained," Katrine explained. "Your quarters will be here, where you'll be well protected. You'll train with our new recruits every day. You'll be allowed anywhere in the facility that only requires a Level B security clearance, but you won't be permitted offsite for obvious reasons. There is a sit map on the wall of each of your quarters. If you have any questions, my staff has been fully debriefed and can answer any questions you have." She stopped in front of two doors, marked with only a simple number.

"Maelys, you're here. Elijah, you're this one," Katrine nodded, pointing at the doors as she spoke. "Your first training session is at 9am tomorrow. I will see you then." She handed them little cards. "Your access badges." With that, she turned and continued down the hall, heels clicking the whole way.

"Real hospitable, wasn't she?" Maelys snorted, as soon as Katrine was out of sight.

"She's—a busy woman, I guess," Elijah shrugged.

"Guess we'd better check out the new accommodations." Maelys swiped her card over the locking mechanism, swinging the door inward. The room was small and standard, furnished with a small twin bed, a dresser, and a tiny closet. There was a small door on the left side of the room, which Maelys assumed was for a bathroom. The walls were pale grey, as was the carpet on the floor. As promised, a large map of the facility was hung on the wall right above her bed.

Maelys tossed down her duffle bag, crossing to the bed to get a better view of base's layout. "Bingo," she whispered, her finger landing on an area of interest.

"What's 'bingo'?" Elijah adjusted the strap of his own bag, coming to peer over Maelys's shoulder.

"This service elevator," she said. "Look. 'Residence lift.' It leads to Tyron's private residence." She looked back at Elijah. "We need to pay him a visit."

"Katrine said—"

"Katrine doesn't own us, Elijah. None of them do." She grabbed his shoulders. "Addie and Ash were taken. I'm not sitting here and 'training.' I'm finding them."

"Your aunt, my dad and Tyron are here to help with that. They—"

"You need to be less trusting. I know Jacob is your dad, and you want to believe he'll come through. But, how many promises have the made us and not been able to keep? They promised us the Fortress would be safe, but look at where we are now. I'm not standing by any more while others decide my fate. It's high time we took charge of our own lives, Elijah." She sighed, dropped her grip. "Eli, if we're going to find them, I need you to be on my side. I can't do this alone. I especially need your—particular skills to get us to that elevator."

Elijah sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine," he sighed. "But, if this gets us killed—I'm resurrecting us both so I can kill you again."

Maelys offered a wicked grin, balling up her fist. It shimmered a little, turning to solid metal. "Tyron wants us to use our abilities," she grinned. "Lets use our abilities."

* * *

Terry shivered when the car finally pulled in front of the cabin, the familiar sight making her stomach knot. "I can't believe you moved—here. Isn't it…I don't know, risky? Living in a place Carthage has already located once?"

"As far as Carthage knows, this cabin has been abandoned since Anthea was taken and Waldo fled. They lost interest once Waldo moved elsewhere. It's secure. Trust me." Tyron got out of the car.

Terry sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt and glancing at Jacob in the mirror. "How long has it been, since—since we've had this many of us together at once."

"Not long enough," Jacob shuddered. "No offense meant, Terry, but our Carthage days don't exactly hold fond memories for me. I'm not exactly keen on reliving the 'glory days'."

"Neither am I," Terry locked her gaze with his reflection. "But—you can't deny the bond we shared."

"No, I guess not," Jacob shrugged. He grabbed his bag. "We'd better get out of the car."

Terry followed the suggestion, following Tyron and Jacob to the cabin. Inside was warm and inviting, a total opposite of the mountain's biting chill. Terry had only been there once, back with things were a touch simpler, but it was exactly as she remembered it. It was open and airy, with several large windows to keep out the natural bite. A roaring fire burned heartily in the hearth, crackling contentedly as it devoured the logs. A lone, solitary baby grand rested in the corner, unused. It was once Waldo's, if memory served correctly. All of this had once been Waldo's, and in true Tyron fashion the traitor had taken it all over.

"Anthea is out for now," Tyron said. A maid—an actual maid—came up and took Terry's coat and bag and then scampered off without a word. Maybe not exactly as she remembered. "She's gone to check on something in one of the labs. She'll be back soon, with dinner."

Terry shifted a little. "Am I to assume you're putting me up in the usual room?"

"Yes. If that's alright."

"I'll show myself to it," Terry said, her throat tight. Without another word, she made for the stairs, not bothering to look back. The maid was in her room, unpacking, and she snapped back when Terry entered. "I've got it from here, thanks."

The maid nodded, shying away. It made Terry a little sick, honestly. Her whole life, she'd tried to build something simple, something Carthage wouldn't notice. And Tyron had an internationally recognized company…and maids.

She dug around in her bag for her laptop, typing a quick email to Sam to let her know she'd arrived safely, and then finally allowed herself to take it all in. What a mess this all was.

There was a knock on her door, and she closed her laptop. "Come in?"

"Elissa," the door flew open and Anthea came in, her eyes shimmering with tears. She was dressed well, a warm sweater and nice jeans, long blonde long hair let loose about her shoulders. Terry didn't remember her sister having blonde hair—she remember being very alarmed the day Anthea was born, seeing downy pink fluff atop her sister's head—but she also remember Tyron warned her not to ask too many questions. Anthea had been through much since the sisters last saw one another—she'd been through a lot even before they'd separated—and bringing it up was not helpful, so Terry let it go.

"Anthea," Terry held out her arms for a hug, a gesture that Anthea readily accepted. As Terry wrapped her arms around the other warm, she was transported back to their childhood. So many moments when they were children found the pair was they were now, often with Frigga between them, crying silent tears and offering comfort in the only way they knew how. It brought Terry back to that fateful day when Anthea was seventeen, the day that set the family on the path right back to this moment.

"We should go downstairs," Anthea was the first to drop the hug. "My _husband_ is eager to start dinner."

"Annie," Terry caught her sister's arm. "When this blows over, you're welcome to come back with me."

"Tyron knows I'd do it in a heartbeat," she let her hand fly to the locket around her neck. "Which is why he's keeping her from me."

"Who?"

"Aelita," Anthea breathed. "He knows where she is, Lis. And he knows I'll up and leave the second I find her, so he's keeping us apart as leverage. He wants us all together, one big happy family. Like when I had with Waldo."

"That b—" Terry made a move for the door.

"Lis," Anthea caught her arm. "I'm a big girl. I'll figure it out. Just—" she sighed—"we have more important things to deal with right now."

Terry shuddered. "That we do."

Anthea and Terry left the room, heading downstairs. Tyron and Jacob were seated on the couch, neither man daring to say a word to each other. They hadn't been on amiable terms, even before Tyron betrayed the group.

"Anthea," Tyron set down his wine glass, "I've put what you brought into the oven. Thank you for picking it up, Dear."

Terry wanted to slap him, hearing how he talked to her sister. That…that _tone._ They way he looked at her as if he owned her.

"You're quite welcome, Dear," Anthea shot back, her tone as sickly-sweet as Tyron's. She fell into one of the armchairs across from the couch and Terry followed suit, claiming the second one.

"So," Tyron crossed his legs, "we're here to talk about our little problem."

"I don't think Dido getting its hands on the twins is a _little_ problem," Jacob raised an eyebrow.

"My question—why _only_ the twins? Carthage wants all of the children, not just Adrienne and Asher," Anthea threw in.

"Well, not to be immodest, but my Fortress programming isn't the easiest thing to hack," Terry crossed her legs. "Just getting the twins would require extensive resources. More than likely, they were making plans to capture Elijah and Maelys as well, they didn't succeed before we caught on."

"Obviously," Jacob said, "our priority is finding the Williquettes."

"Is it?" Terry asked, raising an eyebrow. "If Carthage has them, it has them under lock and key. A rescue mission would be too risky. Our priority is bringing down Dido. It's the best thing we can do for them."

"Would you say that if it were me in Carthage's clutches, Elissa?" Anthea asked. "If the stories I heard were true, when I was taken, you nearly got yourself killed trying to find leads to rescue me."

Terry flinched, surprised at how readily Anthea brought up her own incarceration.

"I was younger than," Terry said. "Less naïve."

"Well," Tyron took a sip of wine, "if you must know, the twins aren't at a Carthage base."

Every head in the room snapped to him.

"Tyron," Anthea shifted, "how do you know that?"

"The tracking device I implanted in each of the children before you took them all to America. When Terry called and told me the twins were gone, I activated their implants," Tyron shrugged. When he notice the glares staring back at him, he scoffed and shrugged. "As much _faith_ as I had in you, my colleagues, I knew that Carthage finding them was an eventual possibility, so…I took precautions."

"You tagged innocent children," Jacob snapped.

"Carthage did a lot worse," Tyron shrugged. "Do you want to know where the twins are or not?"

"Yes," Terry said. "We do."

"They're in a French boarding school known as Kadic Academy."

"A school?" Jacob asked. "Why?"

"That's…. complicated," Tyron sighed, glance over at Anthea.

"Complicated how?" Terry asked, deciding she disliked the look Tyron was giving her sister.

"Carthage wants the children it helped create. _All_ of them." He let that sink in, and Anthea gasped.

"Aelita!"

"The virtualization program Waldo used for his Lyoko," Tyron continued, "was similar to Jacob's program. Which, would mean that on any virtual world which as scanners running the same program, their digital forms will possess abilities. Abilities that—much like with the twins, Elijah, and Maelys—can be emulated in human form with the right manipulation. Your daughter is at risk, Anthea. And Carthage has sent its newly acquired minions to lure her into its trap. And, considering he friends have been making plenty of trips to Lyoko, I am assuming their at risk too. And, with enhanced children and Dido on their side—"

"So what do you propose we do?" Terry cut him off, not wanting her imagination to carry her that far.

"Obviously, we have to fight fire with fire. We infiltrate the school, make our presence known. And, if at all possible, get all at risk out of the line of fire."

"Right. So how do you propose we blend in at a school? Unless they're hiring faculty, any one of us would stick out like a sore thumb."

"Wow," a voice laughed behind them. "Where _are_ you going to get some adolescent spies? They seem to be in a pickle, Elijah."

"Maelys, Elijah," Terry stood up. "How did you get up here?"

Anthea went ramrod straight at the sight of the two teenagers.

"Tyron, you really should have better debriefed your security team on our enhanced abilities," Maelys cocked her head to the side. "Now, about us infiltrating the school."

"Out of the question, Maelys," Jacob cut her off. "That'd be putting you right into Carthage's hands."

"No offense," Maelys cocked her head to the side. "But, I don't think we were ever out of their hands. Tyron's right—as weird as that feels to say—we can't hide under the bed. We'd better start fighting back. Besides, they took Addie and Ash. This is personal."

"The girl has a point," Tyron agreed. "So, here's what we'll do. I'll set us up near the school. Two of us will go set up somewhere near the school and supervise the children. It's the best plan we have."

"It's a horrible one," Jacob snorted.

"I said it was our best plan, not a good one," Tyron held up his hands.

"So, who will be going?" Terry relented.

"Me," Anthea said, her glare daring anyone to defy her. "And Elissa."

"Yes, I suppose that's an acceptable arrangement," Tyron said, an edge to his voice. "Does her majesty approve?" Tyron raised an eyebrow at Maelys.

"Oh yes. A nice family vacation," Maelys snorted, looking right at Anthea. "Right, Mom?"

 **Well...that's all for now.**

 **Drop a review!**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **Moonlit**


	5. Family Ties

**This. Took. Forever. To. Write**

 **Also, this semester hit me like a freight train going full speed.**

 **Anywho, this was so hard for me and with school and my other works this kind of took me way, way longer than anticipated. Luckily, Code Lyoko is my go-to stress show so it really motivated me.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _Chapter Four: Family Ties_

 _Boulogne-Billancourt, France_

Understandably, Aelita didn't sleep much that night. She was beginning to wonder just how much she really didn't know about her past. While it was true most of her memories from her days before being sealed inside Lyoko had returned, she now saw how little she knew to begin with. And, honestly, she wasn't sure she really wanted to know the whole truth. Her father had kept Project Carthage from her for a reason and she wasn't sure how deeply she wanted to delve into the organization that had essentially driven her father to madness. If she kept going, would she end up the same way?

She walked into breakfast in a fog, Adrienne at her side. The blonde didn't seem to mind Aelita's detachment too much and respected Aelita's desire for silence. None of the Lyoko Warriors (gathered at the table, sans Yumi who usually ate at home with her families) appeared to want to disturb her. Well…. except one. Odd was not so in tune with his "cousin." That, or he thought he could cheer her up.

"You look like you've seen better days, Princess," he joked around a mouthful of eggs and Adrienne and Aelita took their places at the table. Ulrich rolled his eyes and Jeremie spared a glance up from his laptop. William paused for a moment, before continuing to finish off his stack of pancakes. Aelita could tell they all wanted to discuss the reason for Aelita's lack of sleep—the obvious one—but could not in the presence of Adrienne.

Aelita decided to divert the conversation. "Adrienne, where is Asher?"

"Oh," Adrienne set down her glass of orange juice. "Our sister called this morning. He's still on the phone with her. He'll be here shortly."

"So, are we going to meet the famous Nathalie during Family Weekend?" Odd prompted.

Aelita had nearly forgotten about Family Weekend in the wake of everything. One week during every year, Saturday classes were canceled in favor of a day that allowed parents to check in our their children and view the students' progress. It was mostly filled with parent-teacher conferences and special assemblies and ended with a banquet. Attendance was optional, and every year since coming to Kadic Aelita strategically avoided it.

"I doubt our family will make it," Adrienne said, her tone carrying with it a finality that even Odd decided to respect.

"Personally," Ulrich sighed. "No one misses much if their parents don't come. I _wish_ my parents would stay away. The last thing I need is an awkward family dinner where my father recounts to me all the negative things the teachers say during the day."

"My family invited Aelita to sit with us during the banquet. Adrienne, you and Asher are welcome to join us as well," Jeremie offered. Aelita looked up from her food, raising her eyebrow. She had to admit, she was still annoyed about their argument in the Hermitage, but that offer did soften things a bit.

"Thank you," Adrienne smiled, clearly touched by the sentiment as well. "I'm sure Ash will love the idea as much as I do."

Aelita sighed a little, thinking back to the argument. In some ways, she _had_ been irrational. Jeremie did have a point, they would need all the help they could get if they were in half as much danger as Aelita figured they were in. However, she knew she wasn't wrong about Laura. The girl, genius though she was, couldn't be trusted. It wasn't even what Laura had tried to do. Once Aelita took the emotion out of it, she couldn't really blame Laura for trying to end X.A.N.A herself. It was more the unpredictability factor. Laura Gauthier did things _her_ way. And the Lyoko Warriors were a team. There was no room for something like Laura on a team. Aelita could forgive Jeremie for suggesting it, but she would never concede.

Aelita was drawn out her thoughts by a buzz from her pocket. Fishing it out, she saw a text from a blocked number. _"Hermitage. Come quickly. If necessary, bring a friend. Urgent."_ She raised an eyebrow, a million questions raging through her mind.

"Everything okay, Aelita?" Adrienne asked.

"Fine," Aelita slid her phone back into her pocket. "Jeremie…can we talk? Now."

Jeremie paused. "Uh…Sure."

Aelita stood, ignoring the stares of her friends and leaving without looking back to see if Jeremie was following. When they were outside, she handed him her phone. He read the text, a deep frown setting in.

"A trap. It has to be," he said.

"I don't know," she trailed off, a shiver going up her spine. "I have this feeling. X.A.N.A wouldn't tell me to bring anything. You know he always tried to trap me alone, not with backup."

"If this is real," he handed her back her phone. "Who is it?"

"I can think of one person," Aelita dared to let her gaze meet Jeremie's. He frowned.

"Aelita, I know how much you want to see her again, but…"

"Jeremie," she sighed. "If I were still in Lyoko and you were promised a lead to virtualize me. Even one that was a long-shot at best, a trap at worst? Well, it's that way with my mother and me. No risk is too great."

"Let's go," Jeremie sighed, Aelita breaking out into a small smile. "I'll text the others."

They were silent on the way to the Hermitage, but Aelita was alright with that. Her stomach was in knots, recalling the text over and over again in her mind. X.A.N.A had fooled them before, of course, and Aelita had to admit her desire to have her family whole once more had been used against her more than once, but as she had told Jeremie, she felt that any risk was worth it. Jeremie had showed her what it meant to go to the ends of the earth for those whom you care for, and Aelita missed her mother with an ache that couldn't be explained. She would go through a thousand false leads if she knew at the end of it all her mother would be waiting.

The sight her father's house never ceased to stir something inside Aelita. It was almost alive to her, holding with memories so strong and vivid they almost came to life right before her eyes. Every time she passed through that threshold, it was like stepping back in time. She followed Jeremie in the living room, littered with her father's old books and notes. Papers, mostly useless since Jeremie had gleaned the meat of the Hermitage's treasures on their many expeditions to the house, floated around her feet as she walked. Rays of morning sun glinted through the dirtied windows, illuminating the dust that hung in the air. Aelita turned her head, seeing her father's old piano nestled in the corner. As she slowly moved towards it, could almost music filling the house, a mournful rendition of her mother's favorite song frantically flying from her father's fingers when his nights were filled with thoughts of her, late at night when he assumed Aelita was asleep. When he was too engrossed in what he had lost to realize his daughter was sitting at the top of the stairs, cuddling Mr. Puck and crying. He'd tried to teach her, before her mother disappeared, but after Anthea was taken he only played to ward off the memories and never gave Aelita another lesson.

"Your father loved to play."

The voice made Aelita stop cold, her neck peppering with goose bumps. She curled her fists, sure that it was another phantom voice, but based on Jeremie's sudden intake of breath, she hadn't just imagined it.

Aelita turned, coming face to face with Anthea Schaeffer.

"Mom?" Tears instantly strung Aelita's eyes, blurring the world around her. Aelita wanted to run right into the outreached arms, but she was cautious. X.A.N.A. had fooled her before. Too many times.

"It's me, Sweetheart," Anthea breathlessly assured. "It's me."

Aelita stepped back, every possible alternative playing through her mind. A specter. A trap from Tyron. A dream.

Yet despite every outcome, Aelita found herself rushing forward. Anthea Schaeffer's arms engulfed the girl. Anthea Schaeffer's familiar scent, unchanged even after so many years, wafted through the air. Anthea Schaeffer's tears fell into Aelita's hair.

And Aelita didn't feel dizzy. X.A.N.A didn't come from anywhere. Tyron was nowhere do be found.

"Mom," Aelita breathed, choking back a sob. "Mom, Tyron said—"

Anthea held her daughter at arms length. She was frowning now. Aelita didn't like that. "My darling," Anthea sighed. "Tyron is the one who sent me. I'm afraid—I'm afraid you're in danger."

Aelita stepped back, her mouth dry. "Sent by Tyron?"

"It isn't what you think," Anthea assured. "I am not ignorant of what he's done. I married him because he had connections to find out what happened to you. To Waldo. But, there are forces at work. More evil than Tyron. More evil than—"

"Than X.A.N.A?" Aelita guessed.

"Waldo tried," Anthea shook her head. "He really did. But he was working with forces he couldn't hope to control. And Project Carthage has an even greater capacity to build things they can't hope to understand."

"Another virus?" Jeremie guessed, and Aelita blinked a little, having temporarily forgotten his presence.

Anthea nodded, allowing her gaze to fall to the blonde genius. "You must be Jeremie," she said. "The one who freed Aelita from Lyoko."

When Aelita and Jeremie exchanged looks, Anthea allowed herself a chuckle. "To say Tyron possessed a considerable interest in you would be an understatement. He was nothing short of obsessed, once we discovered you were intending to destroy the Cortex. He wanted to know everything he could. Imagine his irritation when he discovered that Aelita, daughter of his greatest rival, was one of those opposing him." She sighed. "But, even with that, he knows that some things are more important than old rivalries."

"Such as?" Jeremie stepped a little closer to Aelita. His posture was still guarded, wary but he was clearly trusting Anthea more with every second.

"Have you heard the stories on the 'X-Virus'?" Aelita and Jeremie exchanged a look. Anthea gave a knowing smile, though there was a darkness to it. "I'll take that as a yes."

Aelita instantly recalled the past day's events, the pieces slowly falling into place. She wasn't sure if she liked the picture was forming. Her reunion from her mother soured just a fraction.

Anthea sighed, pulling her daughter in a hug. "We need to go somewhere else. I just needed to meet you on familiar ground and I don't think showing up at your school was wise." She looked at Jeremie. "You too. We have much to discuss and there are some people I'd like you to meet."

* * *

The house Tyron had procured for them was nice, a cozy dwelling just a few blocks from the school. Not that the niceness of the house mattered, since Maelys and Elijah would be boarding at Kadic. The cover story was so that they could better integrate into school culture, but the actual story was so that the teens could keep a close watch on Adrienne and Asher. The pair was scheduled to move in the next day, right after Anthea debriefed Aelita and the other "Lyoko Warriors."

"Your domestic side is a new thing," Maelys muttered, walking into the kitchen already dressed for the day. She walked over the fridge, opening the door and peering inside. Tyron had seen to it that the place was fully stocked, food and all.

Aunt Elissa was currently scrambling eggs for breakfast, their smell filling the whole house. Elijah, who was seated on the counter, let the corners of his mouth turn up into a smirk at Maelys's. He too remembered Aunt Elissa's many attempts to feed the Fortress's charges before the digital world was ready.

"Things have changed," Elissa sighed, wiping a stray strand of hair out of her face. "I figured you'd want some breakfast before your mother gets back."

Maelys slammed the fridge door shut a little too loudly. "Thanks, Aunt Lis."

"Maelys," the older woman scolded. "This situation may be uncomfortable for you, but if you give it a chance—"

"It's all temporary anyway," Maelys shrugged. "Once we've secured the targets, we're headed right back to Tyron's facility. I'm not too worried."

Elissa raised a skeptical eyebrow, scraping the eggs onto two plates. "Here you go. You can eat in the dining room."

Maelys grabbed two glasses and the bottle of orange juice, carrying everything into the other room. She poured herself and Elijah a glass, sliding his to him as soon as she sat down. She started eating right away, knowing her cousin was about to start a conversation.

"You know," Elijah said, "it'll be kind of fun, attending a regular school. Even if it is only temporary."

Maelys didn't agree. First of all, it was a French-speaking school and she wasn't quite as comfortable with that language as she was with English and German. Secondly, with her upbringing, she wasn't at all used to loud crowds of strangers. Living amongst strangers while Carthage was on her tail—with Dido on its side, nonetheless—was not exactly congruent with her definition of "fun."

"The sooner we get Addie and Ash and head back to Tyron's facility, the better."

"Maelys," Elijah sighed, "what is _up_ with you? You've been so jumpy—well, more than usual—since we left Tyron's."

Maelys shivered a little, remembering the conversation she'd had right before she and the others left the facility. The conversation that changed Maelys's whole perspective on the situation…

"Are you forgetting Carthage still wants us? They took our family, Eli. Of course I'm on edge," she said, hoping that would satisfy her cousin.

The sound of an engine outside made Maelys pause, her fork half way to her mouth. Aunt Elissa appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "Anthea's back. With Aelita."

Maelys involuntarily flinched at the name being spoken aloud, but she bit back the flood of emotions it caused. She grabbed her plate, carrying it into the kitchen without a word. With a sigh, Elijah followed her. Maelys heard the front door open just as she was about to rinse off her plate, a mesh of voices echoing in the entryway. The dish slipped from her hands, clattering to the sink with a loud crash. Thankfully, it didn't break. A hand landed on her shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Maelys," he soothed. "We were in the Fortress a long time. Aelita was trapped in a virtual world of her own. The real world had changed a lot since….well, you know." He nodded towards the entrance to the living room. "We'd better get in there."

"Yeah," Maelys muttered.

She entered into the living room on the tail end of something Aunt Elissa was saying. She was introducing herself to two teenagers who were standing by Anthea's side. The first was a thin blonde boy, looking like he was about as comfortable being here as Maelys was. He was wearing kahki's, a button-up shirt, and thick glasses. She remembered vaguely the names given in the mission briefing and assumed this was Jeremie.

Then, at Jeremie's side…

Aelita.

She was around fourteen, physically at least. The last time Maelys had been in the girl's presence, there was a five-year gap between them. Now, Maelys's physical age was only one year senior. Green eyes—an exact copy of Anthea's—settled right on Maelys's. Everything about the girl reminded Maelys of Anthea. But, if Aelita was a miniature Anthea, Maelys knew—from what little she had seen of the man—she was a miniature, female Waldo. And Aelita knew it too. The younger girl stiffened instantly when she saw Maelys, not missing the resemblance.

"Mother," Aelita let her eyes slide back to Anthea, the question written all over her face.

"You were a baby last time we were around each other," Maelys tried to be as nonchalant as possible while sending Anthea as subtle glare. "You wouldn't know me, unless Waldo and Anthea told you. But why would they, right? It's not important for you to know you have a sister. Or a cousin. Or aunts and uncles. They were content to keep you far, far away from the freak-show side of the family."

"Maelys," Aunt Elissa scolded. "Not the time. I understand that this situation hold a lot of emotion for you, but you need to put it all aside for now." She let her gaze land on Aelita's and Jeremie's. Maelys noted that the boy had grabbed for Aelita's hand and he was angling his body to slightly shield her. He was wary of everyone in this room, most of all Maelys. At least he was smart.

"We have important information to discuss," Elissa went on. "Anthea and I, as well as those working alongside us, believe that all involved should know as much as possible. Any ignorance could lead to missteps."

Jeremie nodded, finally finding his voice. "We should get started then."

* * *

Terry had never been one for confrontation, mostly because most of her youth had been spent in the thick of conflict. Whether it be a fight between Anthea and Frigga, tension between her father's lab assistants, or tension between her sisters and the lab assistants, Terry had spent most of her earlier years filling the shoes her mother once occupied, putting out fires in both the Carthage labs and her father's mansion. Working closely at her father's side, the Carthage higher-ups had jokingly called her "The Queen of Carthage." She'd never cared for the title and she'd never cared for the reputation that had earned her the "crown."

Now, as she sat in the living room at her sister's side, staring at the four young teenagers gathered before her, she couldn't help but be reminded of those days. Desperate attempts to keep peace, to minimize the pain and loss caused by her father's power and lust for more of it. "The Queen of Carthage" had failed to protect her people then, and she wasn't so sure she could do any better of a job this time around.

"Aelita," Terry spoke, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen over the house, "how much did Waldo reveal about Project Carthage to you?" Best to gauge their knowledge first, because the less Terry had to talk about things, the better.

Aelita glanced at Jeremie before answering. "Very little. X.A.N.A actually destroyed a good deal of Daddy's work during an attack. A lot of the journal's files were damaged beyond repair, but there were a few references to Carthage," she admitted. "He said it was designed to block enemy communications and that it was 'based on a multi-agent system' but…we got little beyond that." She looked to Anthea. "And neither of my parents told me much growing up. Obviously."

Maelys snorted at Aelita's subtle obstinacy. The two shared a brief glare before the younger sister continued.

"Daddy created Lyoko and X.A.N.A to keep both of us safe," Aelita shrugged. "He didn't say where he got the idea for a digital world, but his reasoning was we could live there while X.A.N.A fulfilled its programmed and destroyed Carthage. It wasn't fully mature, however, when Carthage did finally find us. Lyoko was very advance, but I was inside it for a long time. I began to develop a connection to the world. It always felt a little…unfinished. Like there were aspects of the programming not yet applied."

"Waldo was a paranoid man, even before Carthage got inside his head," Anthea sighed. "He was more than likely trying to apply the same concepts you used with The Fortress, Elissa."

"The Fortress?" Jeremie Belpois found his voice, and Terry let her eyes flick over to him. He was a curious creature, vaguely reminding Terry of the way Jacob had been, when he had first joined Carthage.

"Designing digital worlds and trapping your off-spring in them for 'protection' is a family trait," Maelys said drily, crossing her legs.

"Allow us to explain. From the beginning," Terry sighed, casting a weary look at her oldest niece. "It is true that Project Carthage was initially designed to block enemy communications. Our grandfather," she nodded toward to Anthea, "grew up in Switzerland during the Second World War. During the Nazi occupation of France, he founded a covert operation—which he called Project Carthage—to aide the French resistance, helping them intercept Nazi messages and send relay it to the allies. They proved themselves valuable allies to the French resistance, and after the war ended, the French Government took special note of both the French and Swiss branches of Carthage. The project was given government funding to continue its work and take encrypted communications to a whole new level. Carthage's model was unique, employing geniuses of all types—geneticists, biologists, physicists, mathematicians, the works—to create a 'think tank' of sorts. My grandfather believe to achieve the best solution, one must at the problem from as many angles as physically possible." She sat back on the couch, scanning her audience to make sure she hadn't lost them. "Eventually, the Swiss government wanted a hand as well and Carthage eventually broke free of government funding altogether, becoming a privately funded, autonomous organization. Carthage became a neutral, clandestine consultant to governments and private companies alike worldwide. It thrived off the fact that it employed so many different types of minds, branching beyond just communications and delving into genetic research and weapons manufacturing. Some believed it had too much power, but our grandfather remembered his beginning he and his board of directors managed to keep everything in check."

Anthea sighed a little. "And then our father took over."

"Yves Hopper was always considered by his father to be a bit…unstable," Terry's voice was taught, strained to almost a whisper. "Our father's brilliance rivaled our grandfather's, but our father often had delusions of grandeur. For every brilliant idea there was one that no one could make sense of. The most terrifying ideas came as a mixture of both, ideas that were mad to the point of being unethical, but ones that had scientific merit to them."

"Our early childhood was fine," Anthea took over, noticing that Terry was struggling with the information. Anthea didn't seem to be having an easier of a time, but Terry let her sister speak anyway. "Grandfather was always kind and our mother, one of Carthage's best and brightest, always managed to keep my father grounded in reality. Elissa and I, along with our youngest sister Frigga, developed scientific minds of our own, much to our parents' delight."

"Then grandfather passed on, leaving things to our father," Terry decided to pick up again. "And then mother got sick. It destroyed him and his only grounded tether was severed when she died. He ran Carthage with an iron fist, pushing its scientists to their limits and making considerable changes to its command structure. Our father chose two bright young minds within Carthage's ranks, Waldo Schaeffer and Lowel Tyron, to be his right and left hands, overseeing the communications and weapons development branches respectively. Our father kept on Alan Meyer—head of genetic research—and….well, Alan was someone our grandfather never trusted. Alan had been whispering absurd ideas into father's ear for years, even before any of us were born. He was obsessed with the idea of genetic modification, manipulating the human genome. Each time our mother was pregnant—he managed to get father to consent to experiments. They started with minor adjustments, but their results were at first unsuccessful. With the first child—me—there were…consequences." Terry shivered, not wanting to revel in the implications of those consequences, the ones she had been living with her whole life. "However, our mother really knew of father's tampering until Anthea was born with rose-pink hair. Our grandfather was furious and so our youngest sister Frigga was born without any sort of genetic tampering. Alan had argued he'd found success in Anthea and begged to continue with other subjects, but my grandfather refused. Obviously, when grandfather passed away, our father gave Alan consent to continue the experiments, albeit secretly. It was Alan's hope to create enhanced humans."

Elijah took Maelys's hand at this, the older girl offering a gentle reassuring squeeze.

"Our father's real focus was on what Carthage had come to call the 'Grid-Plane' project," Anthea spared a glance over at her oldest daughter. "It was to be Carthage's greatest success, a combination of all its branches. A habitable digital environment, regulated by a multi-agent system. Individuals would be virtualized onto this world by a scanner, which would break down their genetic code and translate it into a digital format. It was all theoretical, the brain-child of Waldo and Tyron, but it fascinated my father. He brought it before Alan, who was thrilled by the idea. He believed that it held the key to brining his experiments to the next level. My father began work right away, bringing in all three of his children and Alan Meyer's young protégée—Jacob Adams—to 'intern' on the project. The purpose for bringing in the young was far more sinister."

"The Grid Plane was rudimentary. It had one sector and could only hold a few people at a time. It didn't look very pleasing either," Terry shrugged. "But that wasn't really what my father and Meyer were after. Meyer began his part of the experiments right away." She cast a sidelong glance at Anthea. "He started gathering expectant mothers, virtualizing both mother and embryo onto the Grid Plane. From there, Meyer isolated the unborn children's DNA. Like Lyoko, the Grid Plane form's digital signature usually included a program for some sort of defensive power. I do not know if you ever guessed how Lyoko powers are naturally formed, but if it is anything like the Grid-Plane's virtualization process, it uses genetic markers and biological and physiological factors to determine which powers would be more efficient in the digital plane. From there, Meyer isolated the program that generated the powers and transferred it to the DNA sequences."

"That…sounds almost impossible," Jeremie muttered.

"No more impossible than someone so young creating a virus powerful enough to nearly kill X.A.N.A.," Anthea said. "Or one that nearly destroyed all of the Cortex."

Maelys raised an eyebrow, unable to hide the fact that she was impressed. Terry smiled in spite of herself.

"So, the enhanced children…." Aelita said.

Maelys raised an eyebrow. "There were four. Well, four successful ones," she said, speaking for the first time since the conversation started. She crossed her legs, pretending to be nonchalant. And maybe Jeremie and Aelita bought it, but Terry didn't. Not for a second. "And trust me, they to add to that number. Especially since they lost their original four a long time ago."

"So, what does this have to do with anything? With the X-Virus?" Aelita seemed to understand what Maelys was implying, but she was dancing around the matter. Not that Terry blamed her.

"Well, the enhanced subjects, they weren't the only things the Grid Plane project aimed to create. Alan Meyer wanted an army of enhanced soldiers. But, even he knows you can conceive a child, but you can hope to control it forever. You can try, of course. To break their spirit, to get them to submit." Again, Elijah took Maelys's hand, squeezing his eyes shut. "But, humans are naturally rebellious creatures. Alan knew he needed a way to control his army, so he turned to the proposed multi-agent system. The one that was running the Grid-Plane. But, a simulated virus so complex it can control a network of _human_ brains. Something like that would be powerful. More powerful than X.A.N.A."

"That was where we drew the line," Anthea sighed. "We were already planning our defection when the experiments started. But, when we learned what Alan planned to with his creations, we had to expedite the process." She looked down. "And a…development arose."

"You were pregnant," Jeremie guessed.

"Pregnant again," Aelita corrected. Her voice was gentle, but Terry knew the poor thing was still not over the shock of it all. How far in the dark had Waldo kept her?

"And your father had no hand in it," Maelys's bitterness was dagger-sharp. "So this one was worth something to you, right?"

"We never did finish the program before we went into hiding," Anthea continued, not able to look at either of her daughters. "But before we left, Waldo destroyed any progress that had made. The 'Dido' program, they called it. Carthage, of course, restarted it but without the help of the programmers who designed it, they were at a lost. They'd hoped to send a message to Waldo, to scare him into coming back by taking me. But it only made Waldo angrier. So he created X.A.N.A to try and combat Dido. It wasn't nearly strong enough then. But, we all know how X.A.N.A turned out."

"Dido," Jeremie spoke up, "like in Virgil's _Aeneid_. A famed queen of Carthage."

"Precisely," Terry frowned. "It was Father's idea. He was poetic like that." She sighed. "They've done it. Created, fully created, Dido. It's, technically speaking, in their control, but it's based on the same model as X.A.N.A. if it gained self awareness, it is only a matter of time before Dido does too. And, if Carthage gets ahold of its enhanced children, and manages to create more…well, we won't be the only children of Carthage to turn against their makers."

"And the Lyoko Warriors?" Jeremie asked. "We come in how?"

"We sealed all the enhanced children inside a supercomputer some years ago to keep them from Carthage. Except, somehow…they've found a way in. They've kidnapped the twins, sent them here."

"The twins….?" Aelita's voice trailed. "Not….Adrienne and Asher."

"The Willquettes' mother was a pawn. A teenager Carthage pulled of the streets and offered 'shelter.' She was turned away after the children were born. Never even got to hold her son and daughter."

"Adrienne and Asher are diplomat's children," the sting of betrayal was clear in Aelita's voice. "They have a sister. Their mother is a French heiress!"

"No doubt a cover story Carthage forged, my dear," Terry soothed. "Make no mistake—they're here for you. And your friends."

Maelys's frown deepened.

"For us?" Jeremie asked. "Why?"

"Lyoko and X.A.N.A.'s designs are based off of Waldo's original concepts for the Grid Plane. The virtualization program is the same that Alan and Jacob designed. Carthage sees you and anyone who has been virtualized onto Lyoko as its children. They want you. And they have Dido, which means they have the means to take you."

Aelita shook her head. "And that's why you've come," she whispered, her voice breaking with a choked-back sob. "Because Carthage is after us. All of us."

"We can help," Terry tried to sound assurance, but the truth of the matter is that she wasn't sure just what they could do. "We will help. Maelys and Elijah enroll into Kadic tomorrow. Anthea and I have plans to salvage what we can of Waldo's work and notes while we're here. Tyron is working at his facility. And we have two technicians at the Fortress's lab in America."

"I'm living with Adrienne," Aelita shook her head. "She's my roommate. I can't…I can't go back."

Terry stood, crossing over to the couch where her youngest niece was perched. "You are welcome to stay here tonight. We can arrange for you to room with Maelys, say that she wants family with her." Terry shot a quick glare at the older girl, letting her know she had no say in the matter. "It's why we're here. We will bring Carthage down."

"I can help too," Jeremie cleared his throat. "I know my way around a supercomputer."

Terry had to admit, she had been fairly impressed when she was debriefed on Jeremie's track record. Then again, she'd spent most of her life around individuals with astronomical IQs, handpicked and specially trained. Even if he was young, she wasn't unaccustomed to young geniuses. She, Anthea and Frigga had been official members of project Carthage when they were teenagers themselves. "Well, it can't hurt to have another pair of eyes with us." She stood. "Go back to Kadic for now. Cover for Aelita. We'll bring her back tomorrow."

Jeremie looked at the girl, then to the others in the room. He was obviously wary, which again was a testament to the boy's intelligence. "You don't have to worry," Terry soothed. "She is safe here. She's with family, after all."

 **Hopefully, questions were answered.**

 **More details to come soon, especially in regards to the Grid Plane children and their powers and the timeline of Maelys's birth in the overall timeline of Code Lyoko will be revealed soon as well as the reason there is so much tension between Maelys and her mother and sister.  
**

 **Anyway, review because it actually makes me write faster. No joke.**

 **Happy reading,**

 **Moonlit.**


	6. A Deal With the Devil

_Chapter Five: A Deal with the Devil_

"Well, this takes awkward family dinners to a whole new level."

Aelita looked up from her plate, meeting eyes with Maelys. The older girl was flashing a taught smirk, grinning at everyone around the rim of her glass. Aelita's aunt—Elissa—sighed, saying nothing. No one was really saying anything.

Aelita had spent the whole day her mother and aunt's house, attempting to wrap her head around the situation. With some clever work with his voice synthesizer, Jeremie had covered for her at school as Elissa had requested. That left Aelita free to spend most of the morning catching up with Anthea, though Aelita's mother was tight-lipped about anything regarding Maelys. Mostly because the girl in question was there for the entire conversation, sitting on the arm chair opposite the couch and just…staring, Elijah sitting silently by her side.

Aelita made a note to ask her aunt later about the whole situation, because Elissa seemed to be the comfortable middle ground. She just hadn't gotten her opportunity yet.

"We have an appointment with Headmaster Delmas tomorrow," Elissa set down her glass. "Aelita, we're going to say that Maelys and Elijah are your cousins. Which isn't much a stretch anyway. We'll say we want Maelys to be with family, request you be moved out of your dorm into hers. It's the best way to keep everyone safe, especially since we don't know if Dido is controlling the twins or if Carthage is handling them through other means. They're dangerous either way though."

Maelys shifted a little, her smirk fading. She flashed her eyes at Aelita again. "Sounds fair," Maelys muttered.

"Settled then," Anthea sighed, setting down her fork.

Aelita wanted to say something, but the tension was palpable in the room, and frankly she didn't know what to say. For so long, Aelita's sole wish had been to be reunited with her mother and now that it was a reality…she realized that she barely knew the woman. Aelita had been given four years, blissful ones in that secluded little cabin. A time of innocence, where it was so easy to believe they were the only three people in the world. And then, when those men showed up and took her mother, that lie had shattered. Except, no one had really helped her assemble the truth after that.

For most of Aelita's life, Anthea had been a memory. Now, she was realizing how unclear her recall really was.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone rang, every head in the room pivoting to face her. Aelita sighed, digging around her pocket. "It's Jeremie."

 _"_ _Aelita,"_ his voice was frantic on the other line. Her stomach turned to stone, because she knew what this had to mean. _"There's an active tower on Lyoko."_

"X.A.N.A.?" she found herself asking.

That got everyone's attention.

"Tell him we're on our way," Elissa nodded, already standing up. Aelita let her gaze slide to her aunt, reluctant. Even if she was, biologically speaking, family, Lyoko had been the group's secret for so long. Aelita was hesitant to share it with anyone.

"Right," Aelita replied, despite her doubts.

Minutes later, Aelita was in the back of Elissa's car, right next to Elijah, watching the route to the factory pass by in minutes. And it felt so wrong. The group had taken so many different routes to the factory and Aelita had them all memorized. But, riding in the car of an aunt she didn't even know she'd had before today…it felt like she was driving to a foreign country.

Her aunt parked on the street just before the bridge, where all the other warriors were gathered. Aelita unhooked her seatbelt, eager to remove herself from the car. Jeremie approached her right away, offering her a small, reassuring smile. The others watched Aelita's "family" with a guarded curiosity.

Maelys was the first to emerge, folding her arms and returning the warriors' stares with a sharp glare. "Who's the scary one?" Odd muttered under his breath, eliciting a tiny smile from Aelita.

Elijah climbed out next, his soft blue eyes watching the scene unfold. He caught her gaze, offering a slight nod. She found him oddly comforting, with his quiet ways. A spot of calm among the storm.

"Alright," Elissa's voice cut through the air, commanding instant respect. She slammed the car door behind her, the vehicle chirping as she locked it. "Let's get inside. Jeremie, where's Waldo's lab?"

"In the basement," Jeremie replied, obviously in a daze.

"Show us the way then," Elissa walked right past the group, prompting everyone to follow suit. Althea silently followed her sister, the rest of the group filing after them. Elissa grabbed the chain without skipping a beat, easily vaulting herself to the floor below. When the elevator arrived in the lab, she surprisingly didn't take the chair, giving Jeremie silent permission to take his usual perch.

She stared sternly over his shoulder, watching as Jeremie pulled up the active tower on his screen. The holo-map of Lyoko came alive, blinking at the sight of the tower in question.

"Looks like it's in the Mountain Sector," Jeremie murmured. He turned to the group. "Guys, you'd better get to the scanners. We—"

"Wait," Elissa shook her head. "The smells of a trap."

"Well, _no_ ," Maelys sniffed, rolling her eyes. "If only we'd thought of that."

Elissa shot a rueful glare at the brunette before turning back to Jeremie. "This could be Dido's work."

"She's right," Aelita nodded slowly. "Think about it, guys. X.A.N.A was _terrified._ I think Dido was the reason. This could be all an orchestration, a way for Dido to lure is in."

"The tower wasn't activated by Dido. I did that. But you are right in assuming that Dido terrifies me," a voice echoed through the lab. The whole group turned to see a stranger leaning against the elevator. A middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed in a sleek pinstripe suit. His eyes flashed with X.A.N.A's symbol.

"X.A.N.A.," Aelita hissed.

"What do you want?" Yumi demanded, as Odd, Ulrich, and William folded themselves into fighting stances.

"To not die, obviously," X.A.N.A shrugged. "I'll admit, I was delighted when I was restored to full power. Confused, but delighted. Until I realized it was Dido that freed me. And that the intention was to absorb me." The man shrugged. "This vessel is Charles Allard. He works at a local bank. No family to speak of, not really close to anyone. Pathetic really, but works for me. Obviously, the tower I activated to get to him brought you here and now we can chat. I have a proposition for all of you."

"A proposition?" Elissa repeated, no doubt mirroring the thoughts of everyone in the room.

"I was created to destroy Dido, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, before you went crazy and tried to destroy the whole world," Ulrich snorted. X.A.N.A fixated a glare on the burnet, but said nothing.

"We're listening," Elissa said, much to Aelita's shock.

"What?" Aelita questioned.

Apparently, Maelys felt the same way. At least the two could agree on something.

"Aunt Lis?" The elder Schaeffer sister questioned.

"As I said," Elissa offered her nieces a small smile before taking a few steps towards X.A.N.A's vessel, "some dangers are more pressing than others. Waldo created you and your main objectives were to destroy Dido and protect Lyoko. As much as you've managed to override your original programming, I have to believe your chief objectives still have some weight over you."

"You're correct," X.A.N.A nodded. "Of course, an alliance does imply benefits for all parties."

"What could you possibly want in return?" William hissed.

"As I said, I want my life," X.A.N.A. turned to Elissa. "I understand you have more than one genius in your little group. I want a home, my own virtual world. Safe, off the network. And you keep Dido away from me. In return, my monsters will fight for you. No tower on Lyoko will activate unless you ask it of me. I am your own weapon against Dido."

Aelita cast a look at Jeremie, and though this was the last thing she wanted, she could feel that he was swayed towards this alliance. She looked at her mother, looking for an ally to oppose this awful plan, but Anthea, too, appeared to be leaning towards the offer.

"We'll vote on it," Jeremie suggested.

Elijah, cool and calm, nodded slowly in agreement. "I think he's right, Aunt Lis."

"Fine," the woman sighed, casting her stern gaze across the room. "All those opposed?"

Aelita was the first to raise her hand, William joining her a second later. To Aelita's shock, Maelys and Elijah also followed. Elissa offered them a frown, but said nothing on the matter.

"Now, those in favor," Jeremie prompted, the rest of the room raising their hands with only a little hesitation. Aelita's stomach twisted into knots, looking helplessly at Jeremie. He knew she felt betrayed, and for that he was clearly sorry, but he had done what he thought was right. She wanted not to fault him for it, but she found there was too much emotion tied to the decision. She'd need space; a night to come to terms with this deadly alliance.

X.A.N.A smiled, a sinister little gesture. "It will be a pleasure working with you."

* * *

"Mrs. White, we are so pleased that you decided to enroll your niece and nephew in our school."

Terry decided she liked the headmaster, but at the same time she knew if a crisis with Dido arose, he wouldn't be much help. However, that was not his fault and so she smiled pleasantly, crossing her legs. "I am sure they'll be in good hands. Aelita's spoken very highly of this institution. My sisters are very excited to send their children here."

"Now, I'm just trying to make sure I understand, but are your niece and nephew related to Mr. Della-Robbia as well?"

"No. We're all from the Stones side of the family. Aelita's father was our brother," Terry expertly rattled off the cover story, but in all honesty there was some truth to it. She'd always considered Jacob and Waldo as brothers she'd never had.

"Ah. Well, regardless, Aelita had been a joy to have here at Kadic. An extremely bright girl. We look forward to taking in Elijah and Maelys," Delmas put his signature on a form, sliding it across to Terry. "Now, I'm all done here. I've pulled Miss Stones out of classes to help your niece move in, and if you'd like to stay until they're settled, you're certainly welcome."

"Thank you," Terry stood. "I promise, I'll have them moved in and sent off to classes and quickly as possible. Come, children."

They left the headmaster's office, Maelys silently fuming as usual. Aelita was waiting for them in the chairs right outside the office door. She stood up, letting an unreadable stare pass to Maelys, then Elijah. Finally, Aelita settled on Terry.

"Welcome to Kadic."

The group filed out of the office, walking in silence to the dorms.

"I'm going to help Elijah," Terry said, admittedly a little worried to leave the sisters alone. "You two okay to settle in here?"

"Fine," Maelys curtly answered.

"Just fine," Aelita agreed.

"Okay," Terry took the small victory. "Elijah, come with me."

As Terry lead her nephew to the boys' dormitories, she could feel Maelys's sharp gaze on their backs, looking after Elijah. Terry wasn't all that surprised to know she didn't have Maelys's full trust.

"She'll warm up to you," Elijah assured, when they were in the middle of unpacking his room. "They both will."

"I'm not really all that concerned about that right now," Terry folded one of his shirts. Placed it into the drawer below his bed.

"Yes you are."

"You're a hell of a lot like Frigga, you know that?" Terry smiled, turning to face him.

"I miss her, you know," he frowned. "I barely knew her, but I miss her so much."

"I miss her too, Elijah."

The pair didn't talk much after that, silently working around each other to set up Elijah's room. Tyron had set up each of the children with new wardrobes and school supplies, as well as anything else they might need living in the dormitories. Elijah had plenty to keep himself comfortable, but that didn't mean Terry was comfortable leaving him here.

"Hey, Aunt Lis," Elijah drew her from her daze, taking the pair of jeans she was holding out of her hands. "We'll be okay here, Maelys and I. You've trained us to keep ourselves safe. Besides, Maelys thrives off the mission. Once she warms to Aelita and her friends, I think she'll actually…be happy about it. In a Maelys sort of way."

Terry frowned. "Eli, sweetheart, promise me one thing."

"What is it, Aunt Lis?"

"Maelys will be so busy trying to look out for Aelita and her friends, so won't look after herself. So, you need to be the one to keep an eye on her."

Elijah winked. "Always, Aunt Lis."

* * *

"You know, I've been trying so hard to remember you. But, not even a fragment."

Maelys—who had been shelving the collection of books she'd "borrowed" from Tyron—looked over her shoulder. To Aelita's credit, the younger sister was trying her hardest to be civil. And the poor girl's world had been shaken at its very foundation only mere hours ago. Since Aelita wasn't really digging too deep, Maelys decided to award the inquiry.

"You were really young. You and I are actually five years apart, but our time in our respective virtual worlds has us only aged at a one year difference. You were six months old when I moved in with you. I left when you were two. Mom decided it…wasn't going to work out. She sent me to the states, where Aunt Lis and Aunt Frigga were. I'm sure Mom wouldn't let Dad tell you about me."

"Why did our mother send you away?"

That was pushing it. Maelys clenched her hand into a fist. "Like I said. Freak show side of the family. She wanted to keep you out of it."

"But she didn't, did she? I've seen my fair share of 'freak shows' because of Lyoko. I was trapped in a digital world, just like you. I almost died so many times at the hand of X.A.N.A. Whatever normal life she tried to give me, it didn't work out. You and I have more in common than we think." Aelita stepped forward. "Maelys, I can't pretend to know what growing up was like for you, but you don't know what I've seen either. Carthage is as much my enemy as it is yours."

Maelys sighed, sitting on her bed. "It was Carthage's enhancements. Truth be told, it made me dangerous to have around," she said. "Me, Elijah, Addie, Ash: we all have abilities. Carthage wanted us bred as weapons, so left to our own devices we really could be a hazard to even ourselves."

"What's your….?"

"My enhancement?" Maelys stood, turning to face her sister. In a blink of an eye, she shimmered, her skin and hair turning to metal. Aelita shied back a step, but Maelys only skirted around her, headed for the room's desk. She grabbed it with one hand, picking it up into the air.

"Oh," was all Aelita managed.

Maelys set the desk down, shifting back to normal.

"You were two. I was seven," Maelys muttered. "We were playing in the living room while Mom was making lunch for us. Dad was working in his study. I think you snatched my favorite toy away from me, and I tried to get it back. I gave you a spiral fracture. It was the excuse Mom was looking for to send me back to Aunt Elissa."

"Why would she want you to leave?"

"Look, this isn't my favorite subject in the world, okay? I'm…making an effort with the sibling bonding thing. I am. But I've got to be allowed to ask you questions too."

"Fair enough," Aelita said. "Ask away."

"Our father. Where is he?"

Aelita flinched at the question, faking a cough to hide the tears that were clearly pricking her eyes. "Maelys, Daddy….our father died in the final battle—well, it was _supposed_ to be our final battle—with X.A.N.A. Jeremie created a multi-agent system to counter X.A.N.A., but we needed more energy. Daddy left himself vulnerable to transfer that last bit of power. I tried to protect him, but…."

"Oh," was all Maelys managed. She stood up, frustrated by the tears suddenly pricking her eyes. "Um…that's….that's information that going to take just adjusting."

"Do you want to…talk about it?"

"No," Maelys folded her arms. "I don't. Look, I'm fine here. You should….get to class or something."

"I don't know. Elissa said…"

"Look, clearly I can take care of myself. I'm here to protect _you,_ Aelita. Not the other way around. If you try and babysit me twenty-four seven, I will go insane."

"Okay," Aelita pinched the bridge of her nose. She fished her cell out of her pocket, slapping it into Maelys's hand. "Put your number in. In case we need to reach each other."

Maelys frowned, fiddling with the buttons. She handed her the phone back. Aelita typed a text, sent it off. "Now you have mine. I'll see you at lunch."

It wasn't a question.

"Yeah. See you."

When Aelita left, Maelys opened her cellphone, scrolling through the contacts. She found the one that had been placed there right before she'd left Tyron's facility. Placed under the name "Goldielocks" for safekeeping. She called the number.

 _"_ _Hey. Thought you'd never call."_

"Meet me in the dormitory stairwell."

 _"_ _On my way."_

Maelys grabbed her backpack, surveying her dorm. Aelita's half of the room was an explosion of pink. Pictures of the younger Schaeffer and here friends were posted all over the wall. The "Lyoko Warriors" were scene in pictures from amusement parks, concerts. Days out on the town. For someone who didn't lead a "normal life" Aelita seemed to find her own patch of ordinary in those friends of hers.

Maelys left the room and locked the door behind her.

Adrienne Williquette was waiting in the stairwell, looking almost exactly as she did the day she was virtualized onto the Fortress with the other Carthage kids. She stood, a grin breaking out from ear to ear when she saw Maelys.

"Hey."

"Addie," the brunette sat down beside her life-long friend. Strike that, _sister._

"They debriefed you at Tyron's facility?" Adrienne asked.

"I was told everything I needed to know. Not even the esteemed professor himself has ac clue. Elijah's still in the dark though."

"That'll have to change soon," Adrienne sighed. "Eli's too close to Jacob. This puts him in a…difficult place, going behind his father's back. But, we need him for the next move."

"I've been awaiting orders," Maelys nodded. "I'll let you know when I get the word. We'll figured out a way to get Elijah on board before then. For now, you and Ash need to be careful. Aunt Lis is suspicious of you both."

"We'll behave," Adrienne assured standing up. "But for now, you have the Lyoko Warriors' trust. Keep a close eye on them, okay?"

Maelys nodded. "You can count on it."


End file.
